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 14.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
14.1%
World rank
11th
of 46 countries
All-time high
35.6%
in 2001
All-time low
9.3%
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
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia is 14.1%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia peaked at 35.6% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 9.3%, in 2007.
Zambia ranks 11th of 46 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 35.6% | — |
| 2007 | 9.3% | -73.8% |
| 2013 | 15.7% | +67.7% |
| 2018 | 17.2% | +9.9% |
| 2023 | 14.1% | -18.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 14.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.9%, 1.3× the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 14.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.7%, 1.1× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 22.5% | 9.3% | 35.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 16.4% | 15.7% | 17.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 14.1% | 14.1% | 14.1% | 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 14.1% 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 35.6% 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 9.3% in 2007.
- How does Zambia rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Zambia ranks 11th out of 46 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 9.8%. 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, urban, female (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