Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Zambia
Zambia: Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes was 136,539 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
136,539
World rank
48th
of 204 countries
All-time high
653,063
in 2001
All-time low
136,539
in 2024
Years of data
31
1972–2024
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Zambia, 1972–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Zambia is 136,539, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
The figure is down 49.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Zambia peaked at 653,063 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 136,539, in 2024.
Zambia ranks 48th of 204 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 199,266 | — |
| 1976 | 207,116 | +3.9% |
| 1977 | 216,591 | +4.6% |
| 1978 | 237,205 | +9.5% |
| 1979 | 251,280 | +5.9% |
| 1980 | 260,455 | +3.7% |
| 1981 | 267,845 | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 276,336 | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 264,923 | -4.1% |
| 1984 | 258,470 | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 250,895 | -2.9% |
| 1988 | 280,407 | +11.8% |
| 1994 | 424,207 | +51.3% |
| 1995 | 472,672 | +11.4% |
| 1998 | 569,412 | +20.5% |
| 1999 | 612,379 | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 631,488 | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 653,063 | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 608,632 | -6.8% |
| 2004 | 359,221 | -41.0% |
| 2005 | 177,787 | -50.5% |
| 2006 | 226,714 | +27.5% |
| 2007 | 171,316 | -24.4% |
| 2008 | 158,908 | -7.2% |
| 2009 | 234,997 | +47.9% |
| 2010 | 308,248 | +31.2% |
| 2011 | 208,858 | -32.2% |
| 2012 | 173,742 | -16.8% |
| 2013 | 271,401 | +56.2% |
| 2017 | 493,015 | +81.7% |
| 2024 | 136,539 | -72.3% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 136,539 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 76,741, 1.8× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 136,539 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 224,299, 61% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 222,292 | 199,266 | 251,280 | 5 |
| 1980s | 265,619 | 250,895 | 280,407 | 7 |
| 1990s | 519,668 | 424,207 | 612,379 | 4 |
| 2000s | 358,014 | 158,908 | 653,063 | 9 |
| 2010s | 291,053 | 173,742 | 493,015 | 5 |
| 2020s | 136,539 | 136,539 | 136,539 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More education data for Zambia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 42,585 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 169,961 (2013)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.39 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.49 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.55 % change on previous year (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2106 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.49 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Zambia?
- Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Zambia was 136,539 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 653,063 in 2001.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 136,539 in 2024.
- How does Zambia rank for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Zambia ranks 48th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release