Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Zambia
Zambia: Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes was 5.4% in 2012. ▲ Rising
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Zambia, 1972–2012
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 5.4% for repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in 2012.
The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 32.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Zambia peaked at 8.1% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 1977.
That places Zambia 49th out of 196 countries with data for 2012, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 2.0% | — |
| 1974 | 2.1% | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 1.4% | -34.7% |
| 1977 | 1.2% | -13.3% |
| 1980 | 1.5% | +27.4% |
| 1985 | 2.2% | +46.7% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | +26.5% |
| 1998 | 6.1% | +117.4% |
| 1999 | 6.3% | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 8.1% | +27.6% |
| 2005 | 7.1% | -11.4% |
| 2006 | 6.8% | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 6.1% | -9.4% |
| 2008 | 6.0% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 6.1% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 6.2% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 5.5% | -10.3% |
| 2012 | 5.4% | -2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.7% | 1.2% | 2.1% | 4 |
| 1980s | 1.9% | 1.5% | 2.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 5.1% | 2.8% | 6.3% | 3 |
| 2000s | 6.7% | 6.0% | 8.1% | 6 |
| 2010s | 5.7% | 5.4% | 6.2% | 3 |
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 repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Zambia?
- Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Zambia was 5.4% in 2012, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 8.1% in 2001.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 1977.
- How does Zambia rank for repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes?
- Zambia ranks 49th out of 196 countries with data for 2012.
- Is repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.7%. 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 Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release