School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) in Zambia
Zambia: School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) was 1.05 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Zambia, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2025, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Zambia stood at 1.05 million. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.4% on the previous year and up 37.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Zambia peaked at 1.05 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 287,141, in 1970.
Zambia ranks 70th of 220 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 287,141 | — |
| 1971 | 295,702 | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 305,034 | +3.2% |
| 1973 | 315,240 | +3.3% |
| 1974 | 326,443 | +3.6% |
| 1975 | 338,377 | +3.7% |
| 1976 | 350,715 | +3.6% |
| 1977 | 363,237 | +3.6% |
| 1978 | 376,231 | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 389,417 | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 403,207 | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 417,339 | +3.5% |
| 1982 | 432,609 | +3.7% |
| 1983 | 449,207 | +3.8% |
| 1984 | 466,051 | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 329,505 | -29.3% |
| 1986 | 342,164 | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 354,409 | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 366,804 | +3.5% |
| 1989 | 378,803 | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 391,835 | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 403,450 | +3.0% |
| 1992 | 412,562 | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 421,141 | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 428,564 | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 435,284 | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 443,562 | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 455,242 | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 468,552 | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 481,796 | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 495,725 | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 510,055 | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 523,808 | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 536,357 | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 550,466 | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 565,029 | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 580,149 | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 594,671 | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 611,679 | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 631,974 | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 653,233 | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 673,456 | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 693,065 | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 714,785 | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 738,356 | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 761,445 | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 783,157 | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 806,268 | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 832,636 | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 863,997 | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 899,738 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 935,063 | +3.9% |
| 2022 | 966,752 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | 994,305 | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 1.02 million | +2.7% |
| 2025 | 1.05 million | +2.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 1.05 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 902,081, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 1.05 million is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.12 million, 94% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | -29.3% | 466,051 | 329,505 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 334,754 | 287,141 | 389,417 | 10 |
| 1980s | 394,010 | 329,505 | 466,051 | 10 |
| 1990s | 434,199 | 391,835 | 481,796 | 10 |
| 2000s | 559,991 | 495,725 | 631,974 | 10 |
| 2010s | 752,040 | 653,233 | 863,997 | 10 |
| 2020s | 977,103 | 899,738 | 1.05 million | 6 |
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 school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Zambia?
- School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Zambia was 1.05 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.05 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 287,141 in 1970.
- How does Zambia rank for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- Zambia ranks 70th out of 220 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.3%. 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, published as part of School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release