Total net enrolment rate, primary, female (%) in Zambia
Zambia: Total net enrolment rate, primary, female (%) was 86.2% in 2017. ▲ Rising
Total net enrolment rate, primary, female in Zambia, 1972–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total net enrolment rate, primary, female in Zambia is 86.2%, measured in 2017.
That represents a change of down 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total net enrolment rate, primary, female in Zambia peaked at 94.2% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 66.2%, in 1999.
That places Zambia 140th out of 180 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Total net enrolment rate, primary, female (%) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 71.1% | — |
| 1976 | 74.5% | +4.8% |
| 1977 | 74.7% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 74.1% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 74.1% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 74.3% | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 74.7% | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 74.8% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 76.4% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 77.4% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 79.6% | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 79.0% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 72.7% | -7.9% |
| 1995 | 70.7% | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 67.7% | -4.2% |
| 1999 | 66.2% | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 66.5% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 66.6% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 69.3% | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 82.8% | +19.4% |
| 2005 | 91.9% | +11.0% |
| 2006 | 90.6% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 92.1% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 91.0% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 88.4% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 92.4% | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 94.2% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 90.6% | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 86.2% | -4.8% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 86.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 90.7%, 95% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 86.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 85.4%, 1.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 73.7% | 71.1% | 74.7% | 5 |
| 1980s | 76.6% | 74.3% | 79.6% | 7 |
| 1990s | 69.3% | 66.2% | 72.7% | 4 |
| 2000s | 81.3% | 66.5% | 92.1% | 8 |
| 2010s | 90.4% | 86.2% | 94.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More education data for Zambia
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 86.21 (2017)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 96.49 (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total net enrolment rate, primary, female in Zambia?
- Total net enrolment rate, primary, female in Zambia was 86.2% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total net enrolment rate, primary, female recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 94.2% in 2012.
- What is the lowest total net enrolment rate, primary, female recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.2% in 1999.
- How does Zambia rank for total net enrolment rate, primary, female?
- Zambia ranks 140th out of 180 countries with data for 2017.
- Is total net enrolment rate, primary, female rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. 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 Total net enrolment rate, primary, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release