Primary education, pupils in Zambia

Zambia: Primary education, pupils was 4.49 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
4.49 million
World rank
38th
of 206 countries
All-time high
4.49 million
in 2024
All-time low
694,670
in 1970
Years of data
45
1970–2024

Primary education, pupils in Zambia, 1970–2024

1.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M1970199720241970: 694.7k1971: 729.8k1972: 777.9k1973: 810.2k1974: 858.2k1975: 872.4k1976: 907.9k1977: 936.8k1978: 964.5k1979: 996.6k1980: 1.0M1981: 1.1M1982: 1.1M1983: 1.2M1984: 1.3M1985: 1.3M1986: 1.4M1987: 1.4M1988: 1.4M1989: 1.4M1990: 1.5M1991: 1.5M1994: 1.5M1995: 1.5M1996: 1.5M1998: 1.6M1999: 1.6M2000: 1.6M2001: 1.6M2002: 1.7M2004: 2.3M2005: 2.6M2006: 2.7M2007: 2.8M2008: 2.9M2009: 2.8M2010: 2.9M2011: 3.0M2012: 3.1M2013: 3.1M2014: 3.2M2015: 3.2M2016: 3.2M2017: 3.3M2024: 4.5M

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Analysis

Zambia recorded 4.49 million for primary education, pupils in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

That represents a change of up 39.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Zambia peaked at 4.49 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 694,670, in 1970.

Zambia ranks 38th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 854,892 694,670 996,597 10
1980s 1.27 million 1.04 million 1.45 million 10
1990s 1.52 million 1.46 million 1.56 million 7
2000s 2.33 million 1.59 million 2.91 million 9
2010s 3.13 million 2.90 million 3.28 million 8
2020s 4.49 million 4.49 million 4.49 million 1

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 35 Malawi 4.75 million compare
  2. 36 Morocco 4.61 million compare
  3. 37 Argentina 4.58 million compare
  4. 39 Thailand 4.45 million compare
  5. 40 Colombia 4.14 million compare
  6. 41 France 4.13 million compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, pupils in Zambia?
Primary education, pupils in Zambia was 4.49 million in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 4.49 million in 2024.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 694,670 in 1970.
How does Zambia rank for primary education, pupils?
Zambia ranks 38th out of 206 countries with data for 2024.
Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 39.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Primary education, pupils
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
251 places, 11,297 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.