Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes (%) in Malawi
Malawi: Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes (%) was 25.3% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
25.3%
World rank
47th
of 52 countries
All-time high
34.4%
in 2010
All-time low
25.3%
in 2015
Years of data
6
2004–2020
Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Malawi, 2004–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Malawi is 25.3%, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 26.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 34.4% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 25.3%, in 2015.
Malawi ranks 47th of 52 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes (%) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 30.9% | — |
| 2006 | 26.0% | -16.0% |
| 2010 | 34.4% | +32.4% |
| 2014 | 27.4% | -20.4% |
| 2015 | 25.3% | -7.6% |
| 2020 | 25.3% | +0.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 25.3% is above the median for low income countries, which is 25.3%, 1.0× the median. (9 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 25.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 39.5%, 64% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28.4% | 26.0% | 30.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 29.0% | 25.3% | 34.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 25.3% | 25.3% | 25.3% | 1 |
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, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Malawi?
- Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Malawi was 25.3% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 34.4% in 2010.
- What is the lowest completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.3% in 2015.
- How does Malawi rank for completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 47th out of 52 countries with data for 2020.
- Is completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release