Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Zambia

Zambia: Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both was 543,890 number in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
543,890 number
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
49th
of 206 countries
All-time high
543,890 number
in 2020
All-time low
131,357 number
in 1970
Years of data
51
1970–2020

Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Zambia, 1970–2020

100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k197019952020

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 543,890 number for population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in 2020. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.

The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 26.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Zambia peaked at 543,890 number in 2020 and was at its lowest, 131,357 number, in 1970.

Zambia ranks 49th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.

Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both sexes (number) in Zambia, 1970 to 2020.
Year number Change
1970 131,357 number
1971 136,411 number +3.8%
1972 140,908 number +3.3%
1973 145,090 number +3.0%
1974 149,198 number +2.8%
1975 153,394 number +2.8%
1976 158,882 number +3.6%
1977 165,253 number +4.0%
1978 172,160 number +4.2%
1979 179,215 number +4.1%
1980 186,024 number +3.8%
1981 193,288 number +3.9%
1982 200,274 number +3.6%
1983 206,930 number +3.3%
1984 213,166 number +3.0%
1985 218,866 number +2.7%
1986 226,035 number +3.3%
1987 232,424 number +2.8%
1988 238,114 number +2.4%
1989 243,125 number +2.1%
1990 247,432 number +1.8%
1991 253,898 number +2.6%
1992 260,174 number +2.5%
1993 266,249 number +2.3%
1994 272,056 number +2.2%
1995 277,404 number +2.0%
1996 284,385 number +2.5%
1997 291,424 number +2.5%
1998 298,436 number +2.4%
1999 305,233 number +2.3%
2000 311,603 number +2.1%
2001 320,862 number +3.0%
2002 330,940 number +3.1%
2003 341,547 number +3.2%
2004 352,404 number +3.2%
2005 363,146 number +3.0%
2006 375,204 number +3.3%
2007 388,725 number +3.6%
2008 403,055 number +3.7%
2009 417,488 number +3.6%
2010 431,317 number +3.3%
2011 444,509 number +3.1%
2012 456,501 number +2.7%
2013 467,607 number +2.4%
2014 478,151 number +2.3%
2015 488,390 number +2.1%
2016 499,280 number +2.2%
2017 510,857 number +2.3%
2018 522,582 number +2.3%
2019 533,783 number +2.1%
2020 543,890 number +1.9%

Zambia compared with similar countries

  • Zambia's 543,890 number is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 236,397 number, 2.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Zambia's 543,890 number is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 360,057 number, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 153,187 number 131,357 number 179,215 number 10
1980s 215,825 number 186,024 number 243,125 number 10
1990s 275,669 number 247,432 number 305,233 number 10
2000s 360,497 number 311,603 number 417,488 number 10
2010s 483,298 number 431,317 number 533,783 number 10
2020s 543,890 number 543,890 number 543,890 number 1

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 46 Malawi 553,182 number compare
  2. 47 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 549,919 number compare
  3. 48 Nepal 546,477 number compare
  4. 50 Italy 535,058 number compare
  5. 51 Peru 518,779 number compare
  6. 52 Chad 508,120 number compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Zambia?
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Zambia was 543,890 number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest population of the official entrance age to primary education, both recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 543,890 number in 2020.
What is the lowest population of the official entrance age to primary education, both recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 131,357 number in 1970.
How does Zambia rank for population of the official entrance age to primary education, both?
Zambia ranks 49th out of 206 countries with data for 2020.
Is population of the official entrance age to primary education, both rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 26.1%. 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 Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/population-of-the-official-entrance-age-to-primary-education-both-sexes-number/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
251 places, 12,277 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to the official entrance age to primary education. The official entrance age is the age at which students would enter a given programme or level of education assuming they start at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, study full-time throughout and progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade. The theoretical entrance age to a given programme or level is typically, but not always, the most common entrance age.