Zambia — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Zambia, 1970–2023.
Education spending for Zambia was 4.07% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 44 years, from 1970 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 6.24% in 1975. The lowest was 1.10% in 2008 (about 3.7× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.14% per year.
Zambia ranks 94 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 55%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 3.61%, so Zambia sits above it. It peaked in 1975 and has fallen 35% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved up 10%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 19 of 41 economies; Kenya (4.02%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 211% in 2010.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 9th of 31 in 1970 → 35th of 63 in 1980 → 108th of 116 in 2000 → 88th of 130 in 2010 → 97th of 157 in 2020 → 47th of 107 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 1970 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4.07% | +0.4 pp |
| 2022 | 3.66% | +0.5 pp |
| 2021 | 3.11% | -0.8 pp |
| 2020 | 3.94% | -0.5 pp |
| 2019 | 4.42% | -0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 4.74% | +1.0 pp |
| 2017 | 3.73% | -0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 3.75% | -0.9 pp |
| 2015 | 4.62% | -0.5 pp |
| 2014 | 5.15% | +1.4 pp |
| 2013 | 3.72% | +0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 3.7% | +0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 3.36% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 3.42% | +2.3 pp |
| 2008 | 1.1% | -0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 1.24% | -0.5 pp |
| 2005 | 1.74% | -0.7 pp |
| 2004 | 2.46% | +0.7 pp |
| 2000 | 1.79% | +0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 1.77% | -0.3 pp |
| 1998 | 2.12% | +0.3 pp |
| 1995 | 1.84% | +0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 1.79% | -0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 1.94% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 2.09% | -0.6 pp |
| 1991 | 2.74% | +0.1 pp |
| 1987 | 2.66% | -0.7 pp |
| 1986 | 3.34% | -0.8 pp |
| 1985 | 4.15% | -0.8 pp |
| 1984 | 4.99% | -0.4 pp |
| 1983 | 5.39% | +0.2 pp |
| 1982 | 5.15% | +1.2 pp |
| 1981 | 4% | -0.1 pp |
| 1980 | 4.13% | -0.0 pp |
| 1979 | 4.15% | -0.6 pp |
| 1978 | 4.74% | -1.0 pp |
| 1977 | 5.69% | -0.3 pp |
| 1976 | 6.03% | -0.2 pp |
| 1975 | 6.24% | +1.4 pp |
| 1974 | 4.88% | -0.6 pp |
| 1973 | 5.49% | -0.5 pp |
| 1972 | 5.95% | -0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 6.1% | +1.7 pp |
| 1970 | 4.39% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Zambia’s Education spending in 1971?
6.1% (1971). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Zambia’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1970 and 2023 the series was shrinking overall: -7.2% in total — about 0.1% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2023: 4.07%; 2022: 3.66%; 2021: 3.11%; 2020: 3.94%; 2019: 4.42%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS — Government Education Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.