Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in Malawi
Malawi: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity was 0.8 GPIA in 2020. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in Malawi, 1987–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
In 2020, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in Malawi stood at 0.8 GPIA.
The figure is down 7.0% on the previous year and down 1.6% over five years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in Malawi peaked at 0.86 GPIA in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.51 GPIA, in 1987.
That places Malawi 67th out of 88 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in Malawi, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 0.51 GPIA | — |
| 1998 | 0.72 GPIA | +41.2% |
| 2017 | 0.8131 GPIA | +12.9% |
| 2018 | 0.86 GPIA | +5.8% |
| 2020 | 0.8 GPIA | -7.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.51 GPIA | 0.51 GPIA | 0.51 GPIA | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.72 GPIA | 0.72 GPIA | 0.72 GPIA | 1 |
| 2010s | 0.8366 GPIA | 0.8131 GPIA | 0.86 GPIA | 2 |
| 2020s | 0.8 GPIA | 0.8 GPIA | 0.8 GPIA | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More education data for Malawi
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14,528 (2019)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1.25 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.75 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2193 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.75 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in Malawi?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in Malawi was 0.8 GPIA in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 0.86 GPIA in 2018.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.51 GPIA in 1987.
- How does Malawi rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity?
- Malawi ranks 67th out of 88 countries with data for 2020.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release