Country profile

Zambia

Sub-Saharan Africa Lower middle income21.31M inhabitants

Last updated April 1, 2026

Composite GEFRI Score

Critically unprepared

Zambia is critically unprepared for education futures (20th percentile worldwide). Core capabilities are weak across most dimensions, and essential systems face significant constraints. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.

29.16Composite score

Global percentile: 20th
Global rank: #143
Regional rank: #17
Viewing data for

Infrastructure

34.61

12th percentileGlobal avg. 59.93

Human Capital

35.73

25th percentileGlobal avg. 47.03

Innovation

33.85

35th percentileGlobal avg. 42.53

Governance

41.60

40th percentileGlobal avg. 47.71

Access & Parity

0.00

14th percentileGlobal avg. 43.89

Country profile

Zambia trails global peers in Human Capital (36, 25th percentile), Infrastructure (35, 12th percentile), and School Access and Gender Parity (0, 14th percentile). A coordinated reform effort is needed to strengthen education futures readiness.

Uneven scores across dimensions highlight areas that need targeted coordination. Limited electricity or internet coverage still constrains classrooms, preventing large-scale digital instruction. Literacy or tertiary enrollment gaps thin the talent pipeline and limit the country’s capacity to develop future-ready skills.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.

Governance presents a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning.

Note: Several indicators use imputed values. Policymakers and planners should validate results further before committing to major initiatives.

Key insights

Falls below many peers at the 20th percentile.
Places 143rd worldwide.
Holds a regional position of 17th within Sub-Saharan Africa .
Scores range from Governance (41.6) to Access & Parity (0.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.
Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.

Regional peers: Sub-Saharan Africa

Composite GEFRI score

Global rank	Regional rank	Country	Score
66	1	Mauritius	56.93
71	2	South Africa	55.84
72	3	Botswana	55.47
—	—	SeychellesMicrostate	54.64
107	4	Ghana	41.58
110	5	Namibia	41.32
112	6	Cabo Verde	39.69
116	7	Sierra Leone	38.20
119	8	Eswatini	37.81
126	9	Senegal	35.30
127	10	Gabon	34.90
—	—	Sao Tome and PrincipeFCSMicrostate	32.59
132	11	Kenya	32.54
134	12	Rwanda	32.06
135	13	Cote d'Ivoire	31.86
137	14	Gambia, The	31.20
140	15	Equatorial Guinea	30.11
142	16	Lesotho	29.23
143	17	Zambia	29.16
144	18	Benin	28.96
145	19	ZimbabweFCS	28.35
146	20	Tanzania	27.79
147	21	CameroonFCS	27.78
148	22	Togo	27.49
150	23	ComorosFCS	26.35
151	24	Angola	25.45
152	25	Mauritania	25.40
153	26	Congo, Rep.FCS	24.57
154	27	NigeriaFCS	24.55
155	28	EthiopiaFCS	24.03
157	29	MozambiqueFCS	23.21
159	30	MaliFCS	22.93
160	31	Madagascar	22.78
162	32	Uganda	22.38
163	33	Guinea	21.89
164	34	Burkina FasoFCS	21.69
165	35	Malawi	21.49
166	36	SudanFCS	20.12
167	37	Liberia	20.10
168	38	NigerFCS	19.57
169	39	Guinea-BissauFCS	19.43
171	40	EritreaFCS	18.16
172	41	BurundiFCS	17.57
173	42	Congo, Dem. Rep.FCS	17.42
174	43	Somalia, Fed. Rep.FCS	15.20
175	44	ChadFCS	15.05
176	45	South SudanFCS	14.26
177	46	Central African RepublicFCS	13.38