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 10.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
10.0%
World rank
9th
of 37 countries
All-time high
20.3%
in 2001
All-time low
4.7%
in 2007
Years of data
5
2001–2023
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia stood at 10.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia peaked at 20.3% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 2007.
That places Zambia 9th out of 37 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 | 20.3% | — |
| 2007 | 4.7% | -76.9% |
| 2013 | 9.5% | +102.6% |
| 2018 | 9.1% | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 10.0% | +10.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 10.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.8%, 1.5× the median. (16 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 10.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.5%, 1.1× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.5% | 4.7% | 20.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 9.3% | 9.1% | 9.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 10.0% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 6 Honduras 14.9% compare
- 7 Gambia 13.1% compare
- 8 Zimbabwe 13.0% compare
- 10 Mozambique 9.0% compare
- 11 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 8.1% compare
- 12 Bangladesh 6.9% compare
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 10.0% 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 20.3% 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 4.7% in 2007.
- How does Zambia rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Zambia ranks 9th out of 37 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 5.9%. 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, richest quintile, 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