Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 89.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Zimbabwe, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 89.5% for share of children in primary school age who are in school in 2024.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Zimbabwe peaked at 99.9% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
That places Zimbabwe 158th out of 209 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1830s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1840s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1870s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.8% | 2 |
| 1900s | 3.7% | 2.4% | 5.1% | 2 |
| 1910s | 15.0% | 9.6% | 20.5% | 2 |
| 1920s | 40.0% | 31.4% | 48.6% | 2 |
| 1930s | 62.4% | 58.9% | 65.9% | 2 |
| 1940s | 55.4% | 51.9% | 58.9% | 2 |
| 1950s | 73.2% | 66.0% | 80.4% | 2 |
| 1960s | 79.8% | 74.4% | 85.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 57.0% | 56.6% | 57.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 91.6% | 68.2% | 99.9% | 4 |
| 1990s | 88.8% | 86.5% | 91.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 95.8% | 94.4% | 98.5% | 4 |
| 2010s | 84.8% | 80.6% | 91.5% | 8 |
| 2020s | 89.2% | 83.1% | 91.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More education data for Zimbabwe
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.2% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.3% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 13 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 93.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 90,330 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 3.67 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 93.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in Zimbabwe?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Zimbabwe was 89.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 99.9% in 1982.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Zimbabwe ranks 158th out of 209 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.