Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest in Zambia
Zambia: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest was 25.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
25.2%
World rank
10th
of 36 countries
All-time high
44.7%
in 2001
All-time low
25.0%
in 2013
Years of data
5
2001–2023
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest in Zambia, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest in Zambia stood at 25.2%.
That represents a change of up 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest in Zambia peaked at 44.7% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 25.0%, in 2013.
That places Zambia 10th out of 36 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 44.7% | — |
| 2007 | 26.4% | -40.9% |
| 2013 | 25.0% | -5.4% |
| 2018 | 28.0% | +12.0% |
| 2023 | 25.2% | -10.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 25.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8.1%, 3.1× the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 25.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 29.7%, 85% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.6% | 26.4% | 44.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 26.5% | 25.0% | 28.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 25.2% | 25.2% | 25.2% | 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 children of primary school age, poorest in Zambia?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest in Zambia was 25.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 44.7% in 2001.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.0% in 2013.
- How does Zambia rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest?
- Zambia ranks 10th out of 36 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, poorest rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. 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, poorest 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