Primary education, pupils in Zambia
Zambia: Primary education, pupils was 50.2% in 2017. ▲ Rising
Primary education, pupils in Zambia, 1970–2017
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % female.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary education, pupils in Zambia is 50.2%, measured in 2017. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Zambia peaked at 50.2% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 44.5%, in 1970.
That places Zambia 12th out of 203 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 45.5% | 44.5% | 46.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 47.1% | 46.8% | 47.6% | 8 |
| 1990s | 47.8% | 47.7% | 47.9% | 5 |
| 2000s | 48.8% | 48.1% | 49.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 50.0% | 49.6% | 50.2% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More education data for Zambia
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 116,859 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 4 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 57.0% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 41.0% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 14 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 115.55 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 115.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in Zambia?
- Primary education, pupils in Zambia was 50.2% in 2017, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 50.2% in 2017.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.5% in 1970.
- How does Zambia rank for primary education, pupils?
- Zambia ranks 12th out of 203 countries with data for 2017.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils (% female). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 40 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Female pupils as a percentage of total pupils at primary level include enrollments in public and private schools.