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 11.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
11.8%
World rank
7th
of 28 countries
All-time high
12.8%
in 2013
All-time low
2.6%
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 11.8%.
The figure is down 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia peaked at 12.8% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 2007.
That places Zambia 7th out of 28 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 | 11.2% | — |
| 2007 | 2.6% | -77.1% |
| 2013 | 12.8% | +399.1% |
| 2018 | 6.9% | -45.7% |
| 2023 | 11.8% | +69.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 11.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9.4%, 1.2× the median. (10 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 11.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.5%, 1.2× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.9% | 2.6% | 11.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 9.9% | 6.9% | 12.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 11.8% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 4 Burkina Faso 26.9% compare
- 5 Benin 20.0% compare
- 6 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 18.3% compare
- 8 Uruguay 7.9% compare
- 9 Malawi 7.3% compare
- 10 Mozambique 7.1% 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 11.8% 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 12.8% in 2013.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 2007.
- How does Zambia rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Zambia ranks 7th out of 28 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 down 8.2%. 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 rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, rural, 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