Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Zambia
Zambia: Persistence to last grade of primary, total was 55.5% in 2012. ▼ Falling
Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Zambia, 1972–2012
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of cohort.
Analysis
In 2012, persistence to last grade of primary, total in Zambia stood at 55.5%.
That represents a change of down 20.6% on the previous year and down 32.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persistence to last grade of primary, total in Zambia peaked at 82.6% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 53.1%, in 2008.
That places Zambia 163rd out of 179 countries with data for 2012, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of cohort | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 67.1% | — |
| 1974 | 66.7% | -0.6% |
| 1976 | 74.7% | +12.1% |
| 1977 | 74.2% | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 78.7% | +6.0% |
| 1985 | 80.0% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 63.6% | -20.5% |
| 1999 | 66.3% | +4.2% |
| 2001 | 82.6% | +24.5% |
| 2005 | 75.0% | -9.2% |
| 2006 | 74.2% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 77.7% | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 53.1% | -31.6% |
| 2009 | 69.9% | +31.6% |
| 2012 | 55.5% | -20.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 70.7% | 66.7% | 74.7% | 4 |
| 1980s | 79.4% | 78.7% | 80.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 65.0% | 63.6% | 66.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 72.1% | 53.1% | 82.6% | 6 |
| 2010s | 55.5% | 55.5% | 55.5% | 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, total in Zambia?
- Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Zambia was 55.5% in 2012, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest persistence to last grade of primary, total recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 82.6% in 2001.
- What is the lowest persistence to last grade of primary, total recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.1% in 2008.
- How does Zambia rank for persistence to last grade of primary, total?
- Zambia ranks 163rd out of 179 countries with data for 2012.
- Is persistence to last grade of primary, total rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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, total (% of cohort). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 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.