Malawi vs South Africa: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes
Malawi
8.39 years
in 2024
South Africa
7.12 years
in 2023
Malawi rank
7th
South Africa rank
25th
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes over time
- Malawi
- South Africa
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 8.39 years against 7.12 years in South Africa, a difference of 1.27 years.
That makes Malawi's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 39 shared years of data; in 1975 it was South Africa ahead.
Malawi ranks 7th and South Africa ranks 25th of 218 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Malawi averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.87 years | 6.17 years | 2.3 years | South Africa |
| 1980s | 3.99 years | 5.93 years | 1.94 years | South Africa |
| 1990s | 6.82 years | 7.29 years | 0.4709 years | South Africa |
| 2000s | 8.34 years | 6.86 years | 1.48 years | Malawi |
| 2010s | 8.58 years | 7.25 years | 1.33 years | Malawi |
| 2020s | 7.99 years | 7.14 years | 0.8449 years | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher school life expectancy, primary, both sexes, Malawi or South Africa?
- Malawi, at 8.39 years against 7.12 years in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in school life expectancy, primary, both sexes between Malawi and South Africa?
- 1.27 years, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and South Africa?
- 39 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2023.
- How do Malawi and South Africa rank globally for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 7th and South Africa ranks 25th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release