School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Zambia
Zambia: School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes was 9.71 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Zambia, 1998–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Zambia is 9.71 years, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Zambia peaked at 9.92 years in 2008 and was at its lowest, 6.3 years, in 1999.
Zambia ranks 53rd of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Zambia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 6.44 years | — |
| 1999 | 6.3 years | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 6.48 years | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 6.48 years | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 6.8 years | +4.9% |
| 2004 | 8.26 years | +21.5% |
| 2005 | 9.18 years | +11.1% |
| 2006 | 9.36 years | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 9.58 years | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 9.92 years | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 9.46 years | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 9.36 years | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 9.4 years | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 9.35 years | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 8.9 years | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 8.78 years | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 8.48 years | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 8.22 years | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 8.41 years | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 9.71 years | +15.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.37 years | 6.3 years | 6.44 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 8.39 years | 6.48 years | 9.92 years | 9 |
| 2010s | 8.86 years | 8.22 years | 9.4 years | 8 |
| 2020s | 9.71 years | 9.71 years | 9.71 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 50 Trinidad and Tobago 9.81 years compare
- 51 Jordan 9.77 years compare
- 52 Belize 9.75 years compare
- 54 Hong Kong 9.68 years compare
- 55 Uzbekistan 9.68 years compare
- 56 Costa Rica 9.67 years compare
More education data for Zambia
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 116,859 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 5.61 % change on previous year (2017)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 723,878 (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 663,308 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 651,791 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 56,680 (2012)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.65 % change on previous year (2012)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 69,123 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 47,736 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 24,494 (2012)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Zambia?
- School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Zambia was 9.71 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 9.92 years in 2008.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.3 years in 1999.
- How does Zambia rank for school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes?
- Zambia ranks 53rd out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. 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 life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release