Society · Primary school enrolment · Zambia
Zambia’s primary school enrolment was 83.2% net in 2017.
83.2% net
2017
Down 3.4 pp from 2013.
Stale — last updated 18 Oct 2026
In plain words
83.2% net
What it is. Net enrolment divides the number of children of official primary school age who are enrolled in primary school by the total number of children in that age group. Only pupils inside the official age band enter the numerator, so the ratio follows how many children start school at the intended age. It counts enrolment, meaning places taken up, while attendance and learning outcomes sit outside it.
Higher is better. A higher ratio means more children of primary age are in school at the intended age, which is why higher is the better direction for this measure. The latest figure is 83.2% net, from 2017. That is the lowest reading since 2005 and sits below the window high of 92.2% net in 2008. The series therefore ends at its weakest point in that span.
Why it matters. At 83.2% net, a notable share of Zambian children of primary age are outside primary school. Households with those children face weaker prospects for their later schooling and earnings. The state would need more school places and teachers to return to the 92.2% net reached in 2008.
| Period | Primary school enrolment · Zambia |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 89.7% net |
| 2006 | 89.2% net |
| 2007 | 90.5% net |
| 2008 | 92.2% net |
| 2009 | 87.3% net |
| 2010 | 84.8% net |
| 2011 | 87.9% net |
| 2012 | 89.2% net |
| 2013 | 86.6% net |
| 2017 | 83.2% net |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Every change is logged in Corrections. How the figure is made: Methodology.
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Strata-AF™ Data, Primary school enrolment, Zambia, 2017; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 18 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/society/primary-school-enrolment/zambia
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
What this means
Working this out from the published figures…
Strata AI commentary is coming — reviewed, dated, and generated only from the figures on this page.
Methodology
Children of official primary school age who are enrolled in primary school, as a share of that age group (net enrolment ratio). Unit: % net. Some countries have no recent figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series SE.PRM.NENR), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.