Literacy rate, adult female in Zambia
Zambia: Literacy rate, adult female was 64.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult female in Zambia, 1990–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of females ages 15 and above.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, adult female in Zambia stood at 64.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.2% on the previous year and down 17.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult female in Zambia peaked at 78.1% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 57.4%, in 1990.
Zambia ranks 69th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, adult female in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of females ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 57.4% | — |
| 1999 | 59.8% | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 61.8% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 78.1% | +26.2% |
| 2018 | 62.2% | -20.4% |
| 2021 | 74.5% | +19.8% |
| 2022 | 74.2% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 64.4% | -13.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 64.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 71.4%, 90% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 64.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.2%, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 58.6% | 57.4% | 59.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 61.8% | 61.8% | 61.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 70.1% | 62.2% | 78.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 71.0% | 64.4% | 74.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More gender data for Zambia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 9,719 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.61 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 15,306 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 15,306 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.24 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 340,219 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 341,639 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 331,557 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 332,331 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 324,712 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult female in Zambia?
- Literacy rate, adult female in Zambia was 64.4% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 78.1% in 2010.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult female recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.4% in 1990.
- How does Zambia rank for literacy rate, adult female?
- Zambia ranks 69th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, adult female rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult female (% of females ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.