Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 70.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
70.2%
Change on year
down 8.6%
World rank
72nd
of 89 countries
All-time high
76.7%
in 2018
All-time low
48.5%
in 1987
Years of data
5
1987–2020
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Malawi, 1987–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 70.2% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2020.
The figure is down 8.6% on the previous year and down 3.7% over five years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 76.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 48.5%, in 1987.
Malawi ranks 72nd of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 48.5% | — |
| 1998 | 64.1% | +32.1% |
| 2017 | 72.8% | +13.6% |
| 2018 | 76.7% | +5.3% |
| 2020 | 70.2% | -8.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 48.5% | 48.5% | 48.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 64.1% | 64.1% | 64.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 74.8% | 72.8% | 76.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 70.2% | 70.2% | 70.2% | 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, both sexes in Malawi?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Malawi was 70.2% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 76.7% in 2018.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.5% in 1987.
- How does Malawi rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 72nd out of 89 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, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release