Zimbabwe: School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary)

Key figures

Over five years it is down 0.47 percentage points from 13.61% in 2015. Since 1980 it is down 70.33 percentage points from 83.47% in 1980. The World Bank has no value for 13 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2020, Zimbabwe's school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) rose 0.24 percentage points on 2019 (from 12.9% to 13.14%).

Across the 21 yearly changes before that (1981 to 2019), the average change was +0.17 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.18 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.88 percentage points in 1981 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.87 percentage points in 2016. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2020, Zimbabwe had the 8th highest value of the 15 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Zimbabwe in the 2020 ranking

• Nepal — 5th of 15: 25.38%
• Thailand — 6th of 15: 22.22%
• Tonga — 7th of 15: 17.85%
• Philippines — 9th of 15: 9.48%
• Lao PDR — 10th of 15: 7.36%
• Vanuatu — 11th of 15: 5.01%

What this measures

Private enrollment refers to pupils or students enrolled in institutions that are not operated by a public authority but controlled and managed, whether for profit or not, by a private body such as a nongovernmental organization, religious body, special interest group, foundation or business enterprise.

Limitations: Religious or private schools, which are not registered with the government or don't follow the common national curriculum, may not be captured.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 28 values

School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) in nearby economies

• Angola — 18.15% (2023)
• Benin — 25.78% (2022)
• Botswana — 6.94% (2021)
• Burkina Faso — 28.18% (2024)
• Burundi — 3.07% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 2.17% (2022)
• Cameroon — 25.34% (2024)
• Central African Republic — 16.73% (2016)
• Chad — 23.62% (2024)

More education data for Zimbabwe

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 2.94 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 93.08% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 93.39% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 92.76% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 90,330 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Zimbabwe's school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary)?

13.14% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1980?

It is down 70.33 percentage points from 83.47% in 1980. The highest value was 88.84% in 2012 and the lowest 12.74% in 2016.

How does Zimbabwe rank?

8th highest of 15 economies with data for 2020.

Is the latest change in school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) unusual for Zimbabwe?

In 2020, Zimbabwe's school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) rose 0.24 percentage points on 2019 (from 12.9% to 13.14%). Across the 21 yearly changes before that (1981 to 2019), the average change was +0.17 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.18 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.PRIV.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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