Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Zambia
Zambia: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 43.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
43.8%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
91st
of 110 countries
All-time high
43.9%
in 2022
All-time low
39.5%
in 2017
Years of data
8
2015–2023
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Zambia, 2015–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Zambia stood at 43.8%.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Zambia peaked at 43.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 39.5%, in 2017.
That places Zambia 91st out of 110 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 42.5% | — |
| 2017 | 39.5% | -7.0% |
| 2018 | 39.7% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 41.7% | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 41.3% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 40.2% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 43.9% | +9.4% |
| 2023 | 43.8% | -0.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 43.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 49.1%, 89% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 43.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.0%, 100% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 40.9% | 39.5% | 42.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 42.3% | 40.2% | 43.9% | 4 |
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 participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Zambia?
- Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Zambia was 43.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 43.9% in 2022.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.5% in 2017.
- How does Zambia rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Zambia ranks 91st out of 110 countries with data for 2023.
- Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 15-24 years old, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release