Adult Literacy Rate in Zambia

Zambia: Adult Literacy Rate was 71.77 in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
71.77
Change on year
down 12.5%
World rank
85th
of 110 countries
All-time high
83.14
in 2010
All-time low
61.13
in 2007
Years of data
11
1990–2024

Adult Literacy Rate in Zambia, 1990–2024

0204060801990200720241990: 651999: 682002: 69.22007: 61.12010: 83.12018: 71.12020: 81.82021: 79.92022: 802023: 822024: 71.8

Source: International Monetary Fund.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 71.77 for adult literacy rate in 2024.

That represents a change of down 12.5% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate in Zambia peaked at 83.14 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 61.13, in 2007.

Zambia ranks 85th of 110 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 66.5 65 68 2
2000s 65.14 61.13 69.15 2
2010s 77.13 71.13 83.14 2
2020s 79.1 71.77 82.04 5

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 82 Lao People’s Democratic Republic 75.64 compare
  2. 83 Burundi 75.54 compare
  3. 84 Togo 72.6 compare
  4. 86 Nepal 71.15 compare
  5. 87 Nigeria 70.41 compare
  6. 88 Timor-Leste 69.4 compare

See the full ranking of 110 places β†’

More gender data for Zambia

All data for Zambia β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate in Zambia?
Adult literacy rate in Zambia was 71.77 in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund.
What is the highest adult literacy rate recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 83.14 in 2010.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 61.13 in 2007.
How does Zambia rank for adult literacy rate?
Zambia ranks 85th out of 110 countries with data for 2024.
Is adult literacy rate rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Adult Literacy Rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult Literacy Rate in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult Literacy Rate
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
110 places, 1,086 data points, 1975–2024
Last refreshed

Gender-disaggregated data on educational outcomes.