Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in Zambia
Zambia: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female was 13.8% in 2017. ▼ Falling
Latest (2017)
13.8%
World rank
42nd
of 180 countries
All-time high
33.8%
in 1999
All-time low
5.8%
in 2012
Years of data
29
1972–2017
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in Zambia, 1972–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 13.8% for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in 2017.
The figure is up 75.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in Zambia peaked at 33.8% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 2012.
That places Zambia 42nd out of 180 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 28.9% | — |
| 1976 | 25.5% | -11.7% |
| 1977 | 25.3% | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 25.9% | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 25.9% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 25.7% | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 25.3% | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 25.2% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 23.6% | -6.3% |
| 1984 | 22.6% | -4.3% |
| 1986 | 20.4% | -9.6% |
| 1988 | 21.0% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 27.3% | +29.7% |
| 1995 | 29.3% | +7.4% |
| 1998 | 32.3% | +10.1% |
| 1999 | 33.8% | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 33.5% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 33.4% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 30.7% | -8.2% |
| 2004 | 17.2% | -43.9% |
| 2005 | 8.1% | -52.9% |
| 2006 | 9.4% | +15.9% |
| 2007 | 7.9% | -16.2% |
| 2009 | 9.0% | +14.8% |
| 2010 | 11.6% | +27.8% |
| 2011 | 7.6% | -34.0% |
| 2012 | 5.8% | -24.3% |
| 2013 | 9.4% | +63.1% |
| 2017 | 13.8% | +46.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 13.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9.6%, 1.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 13.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16.1%, 85% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26.3% | 25.3% | 28.9% | 5 |
| 1980s | 23.4% | 20.4% | 25.7% | 7 |
| 1990s | 30.7% | 27.3% | 33.8% | 4 |
| 2000s | 18.7% | 7.9% | 33.5% | 8 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 5.8% | 13.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 39 El Salvador 14.0% compare
- 40 Turks and Caicos Islands 14.0% compare
- 41 Albania 13.8% compare
- 43 Tanzania, United Republic of 13.5% compare
- 44 Paraguay 13.4% compare
- 45 Côte d'Ivoire 13.2% 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 children of primary school age, female in Zambia?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in Zambia was 13.8% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 33.8% in 1999.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 2012.
- How does Zambia rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female?
- Zambia ranks 42nd out of 180 countries with data for 2017.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 75.0%. 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 children of primary school age, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release