Zambia Literacy Rate
Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
Overview
Zambia's literacy rate stood at 86.88% in 2025, a rise of +4.84pp from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 86.88% by 2025. Zambia ranked 39th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Literacy Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 88.77% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 86.88% | - | - |
| 2025 | 86.88% | +4.84pp | #39 |
| 2023 | 82.04% | +2.07pp | #26 |
| 2022 | 79.98% | +0.03pp | #30 |
| 2021 | 79.95% | −1.81pp | #29 |
| 2020 | 81.76% | +10.63pp | #33 |
| 2018 | 71.13% | −12.01pp | #40 |
| 2010 | 83.14% | +13.99pp | #34 |
| 2002 | 69.15% | +1.15pp | #14 |
| 1999 | 68.00% | +3.00pp | #9 |
| 1990 | 65.00% | – | #14 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Zambia matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2021. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw literacy rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Zambia's literacy rate was 86.88% in 2025. Ranked 39th globally. This represents a 5.9% increase from the previous year.
Zambia's literacy rate peaked at 86.88% in 2025.
The lowest literacy rate in Zambia was 65.00% in 1990.
Zambia ranks 39th globally in literacy rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.ADT.LITR.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Zambia's literacy rate is projected to reach 86.88% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The literacy rate of Zambia in 2025 was 86.88%. This ranks 39th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_zambia_literacy-rate,
title = {Zambia Literacy Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/zambia/literacy-rate},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}