School age population, primary education, both sexes in Zambia
Zambia: School age population, primary education, both sexes was 3.56 million number in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
3.56 million number
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
40th
of 206 countries
All-time high
3.56 million number
in 2020
All-time low
811,524 number
in 1970
Years of data
51
1970–2020
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Zambia, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 3.56 million number for school age population, primary education, both sexes in 2020. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and up 31.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in Zambia peaked at 3.56 million number in 2020 and was at its lowest, 811,524 number, in 1970.
Zambia ranks 40th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Zambia, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 811,524 number | — |
| 1971 | 844,043 number | +4.0% |
| 1972 | 876,617 number | +3.9% |
| 1973 | 908,573 number | +3.6% |
| 1974 | 939,602 number | +3.4% |
| 1975 | 969,199 number | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 999,316 number | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 1.03 million number | +3.3% |
| 1978 | 1.07 million number | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 1.11 million number | +3.7% |
| 1980 | 1.15 million number | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 1.20 million number | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 1.24 million number | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 1.29 million number | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 1.34 million number | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 1.38 million number | +3.2% |
| 1986 | 1.43 million number | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 1.47 million number | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 1.52 million number | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 1.56 million number | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 1.60 million number | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 1.63 million number | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 1.67 million number | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 1.71 million number | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 1.75 million number | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 1.79 million number | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 1.83 million number | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 1.88 million number | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 1.92 million number | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 1.97 million number | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 2.01 million number | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 2.06 million number | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 2.11 million number | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 2.17 million number | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 2.23 million number | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 2.30 million number | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 2.36 million number | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 2.44 million number | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 2.52 million number | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 2.61 million number | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 2.71 million number | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 2.80 million number | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 2.90 million number | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 2.99 million number | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 3.08 million number | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 3.17 million number | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 3.25 million number | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 3.33 million number | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 3.41 million number | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 3.49 million number | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 3.56 million number | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 955,820 number | 811,524 number | 1.11 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.36 million number | 1.15 million number | 1.56 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.78 million number | 1.60 million number | 1.97 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.28 million number | 2.01 million number | 2.61 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.11 million number | 2.71 million number | 3.49 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.56 million number | 3.56 million number | 3.56 million number | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 37 Côte d'Ivoire 4.08 million number compare
- 38 Morocco 3.94 million number compare
- 39 Colombia 3.72 million number compare
- 41 Madagascar 3.52 million number compare
- 42 Burkina Faso 3.50 million number compare
- 43 Mali 3.47 million number compare
More education data for Zambia
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,022 tertiary education (2022)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0497 % change on previous year (2014)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in Zambia?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in Zambia was 3.56 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.56 million number in 2020.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 811,524 number in 1970.
- How does Zambia rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- Zambia ranks 40th out of 206 countries with data for 2020.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.5%. 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, primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to primary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.