Completion rate, lower secondary education, both … modelled data both in Malawi
Malawi: Completion rate, lower secondary education, both … modelled data both was 29.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Malawi, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Malawi is 29.8%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 47.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Malawi peaked at 29.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 1981.
That places Malawi 153rd out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Completion rate, lower secondary education, both … modelled data both in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 5.9% | — |
| 1982 | 6.1% | +4.1% |
| 1983 | 6.4% | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 6.6% | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 6.8% | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 7.0% | +3.7% |
| 1987 | 7.3% | +4.0% |
| 1988 | 7.7% | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 8.0% | +4.7% |
| 1990 | 8.4% | +5.1% |
| 1991 | 9.0% | +6.6% |
| 1992 | 9.7% | +8.2% |
| 1993 | 10.6% | +9.2% |
| 1994 | 11.6% | +9.1% |
| 1995 | 12.6% | +8.4% |
| 1996 | 13.5% | +7.2% |
| 1997 | 14.3% | +5.8% |
| 1998 | 14.8% | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 15.1% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 15.1% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 15.2% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 15.3% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 15.8% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 16.3% | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 17.1% | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 17.9% | +5.0% |
| 2007 | 19.0% | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 19.8% | +4.1% |
| 2009 | 20.3% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 20.3% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 20.2% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 20.0% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 19.8% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 19.8% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 20.2% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 21.2% | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 22.7% | +7.0% |
| 2018 | 24.1% | +6.2% |
| 2019 | 25.2% | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 26.1% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 26.8% | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 27.6% | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 28.3% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 29.0% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | 29.8% | +2.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 29.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 29.8%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 29.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 42.4%, 70% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.9% | 5.9% | 8.0% | 9 |
| 1990s | 12.0% | 8.4% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.2% | 15.1% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.3% | 19.8% | 25.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.9% | 26.1% | 29.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More education data for Malawi
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.49 (2007)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.57 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Malawi?
- Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Malawi was 29.8% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 29.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 1981.
- How does Malawi rank for completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data)?
- Malawi ranks 153rd out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 47.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release