Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia
Zambia: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 28.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia is 28.4%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 36.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia peaked at 35.3% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 11.7%, in 2007.
That places Zambia 9th out of 48 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 35.3% | — |
| 2007 | 11.7% | -66.8% |
| 2013 | 20.9% | +77.9% |
| 2018 | 23.5% | +12.4% |
| 2023 | 28.4% | +21.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 28.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 17.3%, 1.6× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 28.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.2%, 1.5× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.5% | 11.7% | 35.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 22.2% | 20.9% | 23.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 28.4% | 28.4% | 28.4% | 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 rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia was 28.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 35.3% in 2001.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.7% in 2007.
- How does Zambia rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Zambia ranks 9th out of 48 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release