Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, middle in Zambia
Zambia: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, middle was 11.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, middle in Zambia, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, middle in Zambia is 11.9%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, middle in Zambia peaked at 29.8% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 2023.
That places Zambia 8th out of 33 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, middle in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 29.8% | — |
| 2007 | 19.8% | -33.5% |
| 2013 | 14.1% | -28.7% |
| 2018 | 18.9% | +34.1% |
| 2023 | 11.9% | -37.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 11.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8.4%, 1.4× the median. (12 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 11.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.9%, 1.0× the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24.8% | 19.8% | 29.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 16.5% | 14.1% | 18.9% | 2 |
| 2020s | 11.9% | 11.9% | 11.9% | 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, urban, middle in Zambia?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, middle in Zambia was 11.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, middle recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 29.8% in 2001.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, middle recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 2023.
- How does Zambia rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, middle?
- Zambia ranks 8th out of 33 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, urban, middle rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.7%. 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, urban, middle quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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