Zambia

Background Information

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

World Bank income group

Lower middle income

Percent of population aged 10-24

34% (UNFPA, 2023)

Total primary school age population (both sexes)

3,759,404 (UIS, 2022)

Total secondary school age population (both sexes)

2,276,319 (UIS, 2022)

Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 18 (% of women aged 20-24)

29%

Source: UNSDG , 2018

Adolescent birth rate (per 1,000 women ages 15-19)

135

Source: UN Human Development Reports , 2017

Percentage of women who ever experienced physical violence since age 15 (% of women 15-49)

36%

Source: DHS , 2018

Percentage of married women employed in the last 12 months (% of married or in-union women 15-49)

59%

Source: DHS , 2018

Education Snapshot Back to Top

Number of years of free primary and secondary education guaranteed in legal frameworks (Years)

7

Source: UIS , 2022

Percentage of upper secondary schools providing life skills-based HIV and sexuality education within the formal curriculum or as part of extra-curricular activities Percentage of schools

64%

Source: UNESCO , 2017

Proportion of schools with access to single-sex basic sanitation facilities

No data available

Source: UIS

Women as a percentage of teachers in tertiary education

No data available

Men as a percentage of teachers in pre-primary education

No data available

Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure % GDP spent on education

Source: UIS , 2023

Proportion of students at the end of primary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading

  • Female 2%

  • Male 2%

Female: UIS, 2021

Male: UIS, 2021

Proportion of students at the end of primary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in mathematics

  • Female 2%

  • Male 2%

Female: UIS, 2021

Male: UIS, 2021

Experiencing bullying in the last 12 months in lower secondary education

No data available

Youth not in education, employment or training

  • Female 36%

  • Male 26%

Female: ILO, 2021

Male: ILO, 2021

Completion rate

Primary school age

  • Female 73%

  • Male 71%

Female: UIS, 2018

Male: UIS, 2018

Lower secondary school age

  • Female 50%

  • Male 54%

Female: UIS, 2018

Male: UIS, 2018

Upper secondary school age

  • Female 27%

  • Male 33%

Female: UIS, 2018

Male: UIS, 2018

Out-of-school rate

Primary school

  • Female 4%

  • Male 18%

Female: UIS, 2019

Male: UIS, 2018

Lower secondary school

  • Female 28%

  • Male 20%

Female: UIS, 2018

Male: UIS, 2018

Upper secondary school

  • Female 61%

  • Male 44%

Female: UIS, 2018

Male: UIS, 2018

Legal Frameworks Back to Top

Presence of legislation on child protection, to prevent corporal punishment in schools

5

Protection from corporal punishment and all violence, including psychological, physical and sexual violence, in educational institutions

Source: HerAtlas , 2019

Presence of legislation protecting the right to education without discrimination based on sex/gender

5

Enshrines right to education without discrimination based on sex/gender for all within the territory

Source: HerAtlas , 2019

Presence of legislation to protect and facilitate education of pregnant adolescent girls

5

Protection of the right to education of pregnant and/or parenting girls

Source: HerAtlas , 2019

Existence of processes to support coordinated action on gender equality in and through education by ministries, civil society, youth organizations and other actors

Data coming soon!

Existence of systematic processes to review and update curricula and learning resources, with a view to eradicating gender stereotypes and promoting gender equality

Data coming soon!

Training on gender-responsive pedagogies is embedded in teacher training programmes

Data coming soon!

Programs Back to Top

Research Project/Report/Study

A school closer to home: using mealtimes to foster language development, improve girls' nutrition and align home and school in rural Kenya and Zambia

Research Project/Report/Study

Bicycles as a Conditional Asset Transfer to Boost Rural Girls’ Education Outcomes and Empowerment

Project/Program

CAMFED Association

Project/Program

Clean Water Wells

Funding Initiative/Portfolio

Community Grants Program

Funding Initiative/Portfolio

Comprehensive scholarship programme

Funding Initiative/Portfolio

Education and Training

Project/Program

Education Endures: Room to Read’s Award-winning Literacy and Gender Equality Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Project/Program

EMPOWER: Increasing Economic And Social Empowerment For Adolescent Girls And Vulnerable Women In Zambia

Advocacy Campaign/Project

Enough

Project/Program

Food for Education

Funding Initiative/Portfolio

Gender Equity/Education Funding

Project/Program

Gender-Responsive Pedagogy

Funding Initiative/Portfolio

Girl Child Education Fund

Funding Initiative/Portfolio

Girls' Education Challenge

Project/Program

Girls' Education Challenge Transition (GEC-T)

Project/Program

Girls' Education Program (Room to Read)

Research Project/Report/Study

GirlsRead! Zambia

Project/Program

Global Programme to End Child Marriage

Project/Program

Grassroot Soccer Curriculum

Project/Program

Keep Girls in School Bursary - Zambia

Project/Program

Leading Community Action for Vulnerable Girls: Young African women at the forefront of COVID-19

Research Project/Report/Study

Saving During Pregnancy in Zambia

Project/Program

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Project/Program

Strengthening Opportunities for Adolescent Resilience (SOAR)

Research Project/Report/Study

Tackling School-Related Gender-Based Violence

Project/Program

Technology to Enhance Access to Education & Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights - Zambia

Research Project/Report/Study

The Effect of COVID-19 on Education in Africa and its Implications for the Use of Technology: A Survey of the Experiences and Opinions of Educators and Technology Specialists

Project/Program

Transition Guides/Peer Educators

Project/Program

Youth Enterprise

Research Project/Report/Study

Youth Think Tank

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Government Programs Back to Top

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