Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle in Zambia
Zambia: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle was 13.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
13.7%
World rank
9th
of 36 countries
All-time high
27.4%
in 2001
All-time low
11.3%
in 2013
Years of data
5
2001–2023
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle in Zambia, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 13.7% for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle in 2023.
The figure is up 21.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle in Zambia peaked at 27.4% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 11.3%, in 2013.
That places Zambia 9th out of 36 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 27.4% | — |
| 2007 | 19.3% | -29.7% |
| 2013 | 11.3% | -41.6% |
| 2018 | 15.0% | +32.9% |
| 2023 | 13.7% | -8.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 13.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.2%, 3.2× the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 13.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.4%, 95% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.3% | 19.3% | 27.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 13.1% | 11.3% | 15.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 13.7% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 6 Nigeria 15.3% compare
- 7 Gambia 15.2% compare
- 8 Democratic Republic of Congo 14.4% compare
- 10 Cameroon 10.0% compare
- 11 Sierra Leone 9.7% compare
- 12 Bangladesh 8.3% 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, middle in Zambia?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle in Zambia was 13.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 27.4% in 2001.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.3% in 2013.
- How does Zambia rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle?
- Zambia ranks 9th out of 36 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, middle rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.6%. 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, middle 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