Net attendance rate of primary school in Zambia
Zambia: Net attendance rate of primary school was 84.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Net attendance rate of primary school in Zambia, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, net attendance rate of primary school in Zambia stood at 84.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net attendance rate of primary school in Zambia peaked at 87.1% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 73.7%, in 2001.
That places Zambia 28th out of 36 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Net attendance rate of primary school in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 73.7% | — |
| 2007 | 82.0% | +11.4% |
| 2013 | 87.1% | +6.2% |
| 2018 | 84.4% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 84.2% | -0.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 84.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 93.6%, 90% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 84.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.0%, 1.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 77.8% | 73.7% | 82.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 85.8% | 84.4% | 87.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 84.2% | 84.2% | 84.2% | 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 net attendance rate of primary school in Zambia?
- Net attendance rate of primary school in Zambia was 84.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest net attendance rate of primary school recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 87.1% in 2013.
- What is the lowest net attendance rate of primary school recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 73.7% in 2001.
- How does Zambia rank for net attendance rate of primary school?
- Zambia ranks 28th out of 36 countries with data for 2023.
- Is net attendance rate of primary school rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.3%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Net attendance rate of primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total number of students of the official age group for primary education who are attending school at any level of education, expressed as a percentage of the corresponding population.