Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Zambia

Zambia: Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes was 285,071 number in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
285,071 number
World rank
25th
of 86 countries
All-time high
909,219 number
in 2007
All-time low
285,071 number
in 2018
Years of data
6
1990–2018

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Zambia, 1990–2018

200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k1.0M1990200420181990: 540.8k number1999: 655.7k number2002: 643.8k number2007: 909.2k number2010: 307.6k number2018: 285.1k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Zambia stood at 285,071 number. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.

That represents a change of down 68.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Zambia peaked at 909,219 number in 2007 and was at its lowest, 285,071 number, in 2018.

Zambia ranks 25th of 86 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number) in Zambia, 1990 to 2018.
Year number Change
1990 540,783 number
1999 655,680 number +21.2%
2002 643,790 number -1.8%
2007 909,219 number +41.2%
2010 307,553 number -66.2%
2018 285,071 number -7.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 598,232 number 540,783 number 655,680 number 2
2000s 776,504 number 643,790 number 909,219 number 2
2010s 296,312 number 285,071 number 307,553 number 2

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 22 South Africa 464,102 number compare
  2. 23 China 375,315 number compare
  3. 24 Rwanda 326,906 number compare
  4. 26 Brazil 269,941 number compare
  5. 27 Cambodia 249,100 number compare
  6. 28 Burundi 247,640 number compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More education data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Zambia?
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Zambia was 285,071 number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 909,219 number in 2007.
What is the lowest youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 285,071 number in 2018.
How does Zambia rank for youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes?
Zambia ranks 25th out of 86 countries with data for 2018.
Is youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is down 68.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/youth-illiterate-population-15-24-years-both-sexes-number/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth illiterate population, 15-24 years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
125 places, 2,250 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of youth between age 15 and age 24 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.