Completion rate, primary education, rural, both sexes (%) (rate rural) in Malawi
Malawi: Completion rate, primary education, rural, both sexes (%) (rate rural) was 44.7% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
44.7%
World rank
73rd
of 84 countries
All-time high
50.0%
in 2010
All-time low
34.9%
in 2000
Years of data
8
2000–2020
Completion rate, primary education, rural, both sexes in Malawi, 2000–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, completion rate, primary education, rural, both sexes in Malawi stood at 44.7%.
That represents a change of down 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, primary education, rural, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 50.0% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 34.9%, in 2000.
Malawi ranks 73rd of 84 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Completion rate, primary education, rural, both sexes (%) (rate rural) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 34.9% | — |
| 2004 | 44.2% | +26.8% |
| 2006 | 38.5% | -12.9% |
| 2008 | 45.1% | +17.1% |
| 2010 | 50.0% | +10.7% |
| 2014 | 43.8% | -12.3% |
| 2015 | 42.7% | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 44.7% | +4.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 44.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 43.8%, 1.0× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 44.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 51.3%, 87% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 40.7% | 34.9% | 45.1% | 4 |
| 2010s | 45.5% | 42.7% | 50.0% | 3 |
| 2020s | 44.7% | 44.7% | 44.7% | 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, rural, both sexes in Malawi?
- Completion rate, primary education, rural, both sexes in Malawi was 44.7% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, primary education, rural, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 50.0% in 2010.
- What is the lowest completion rate, primary education, rural, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.9% in 2000.
- How does Malawi rank for completion rate, primary education, rural, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 73rd out of 84 countries with data for 2020.
- Is completion rate, primary education, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. 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, primary education, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release