Persistence to last grade of primary, female in Zambia
Zambia: Persistence to last grade of primary, female was 53.8% in 2012. ▲ Rising
Persistence to last grade of primary, female in Zambia, 1972–2012
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of cohort.
Analysis
The most recent figure for persistence to last grade of primary, female in Zambia is 53.8%, measured in 2012.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persistence to last grade of primary, female in Zambia peaked at 73.7% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 51.6%, in 2008.
Zambia ranks 151st of 164 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Persistence to last grade of primary, female in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of cohort | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 52.8% | — |
| 1974 | 54.8% | +3.7% |
| 1976 | 63.8% | +16.5% |
| 1998 | 56.1% | -12.0% |
| 1999 | 62.0% | +10.5% |
| 2005 | 72.1% | +16.2% |
| 2006 | 66.2% | -8.2% |
| 2007 | 73.7% | +11.4% |
| 2008 | 51.6% | -30.0% |
| 2012 | 53.8% | +4.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 53.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.1%, 69% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 53.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 68.0%, 79% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 57.1% | 52.8% | 63.8% | 3 |
| 1990s | 59.1% | 56.1% | 62.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 65.9% | 51.6% | 73.7% | 4 |
| 2010s | 53.8% | 53.8% | 53.8% | 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 persistence to last grade of primary, female in Zambia?
- Persistence to last grade of primary, female in Zambia was 53.8% in 2012, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest persistence to last grade of primary, female recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 73.7% in 2007.
- What is the lowest persistence to last grade of primary, female recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.6% in 2008.
- How does Zambia rank for persistence to last grade of primary, female?
- Zambia ranks 151st out of 164 countries with data for 2012.
- Is persistence to last grade of primary, female rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Persistence to last grade of primary, female (% of cohort). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Persistence to last grade of primary is the percentage of children enrolled in the first grade of primary school who eventually reach the last grade of primary education. The estimate is based on the reconstructed cohort method.