Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Malaysia

Malaysia: Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary was 80.6% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
80.6%
Change on year
up 4.9%
World rank
60th
of 134 countries
All-time high
80.6%
in 2022
All-time low
21.3%
in 1980
Years of data
10
1980–2022

Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Malaysia, 1980–2022

204060801980200120221980: 21.3 cumulative1991: 36.8 cumulative1996: 49.7 cumulative2000: 56.5 cumulative2005: 46.5 cumulative2009: 66.9 cumulative2010: 68.2 cumulative2016: 74.2 cumulative2019: 76.8 cumulative2022: 80.6 cumulative

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in cumulative.

Analysis

In 2022, educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Malaysia stood at 80.6%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.9% on the previous year and up 18.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Malaysia peaked at 80.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 21.3%, in 1980.

Malaysia ranks 60th of 134 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.

Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative) in Malaysia, 1980 to 2022.
Year cumulative Change
1980 21.3%
1991 36.8% +73.2%
1996 49.7% +35.0%
2000 56.5% +13.6%
2005 46.5% -17.7%
2009 66.9% +44.0%
2010 68.2% +1.9%
2016 74.2% +8.8%
2019 76.8% +3.5%
2022 80.6% +4.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 21.3% 21.3% 21.3% 1
1990s 43.3% 36.8% 49.7% 2
2000s 56.6% 46.5% 66.9% 3
2010s 73.1% 68.2% 76.8% 3
2020s 80.6% 80.6% 80.6% 1

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 57 Sri Lanka 82.7% compare
  2. 58 Bahrain 82.6% compare
  3. 59 Hong Kong, China 80.6% compare
  4. 61 Jordan 79.5% compare
  5. 62 Greece 78.4% compare
  6. 63 Jamaica 77.4% compare

See the full ranking of 134 places →

More education data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Malaysia?
Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Malaysia was 80.6% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 80.6% in 2022.
What is the lowest educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 21.3% in 1980.
How does Malaysia rank for educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary?
Malaysia ranks 60th out of 134 countries with data for 2022.
Is educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-at-least-completed-lower-secondary-population-25-total-percent/malaysia/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-at-least-completed-lower-secondary-population-25-total-percent/malaysia/">Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary in Malaysia</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)
Unit
cumulative
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
134 places, 1,905 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed lower secondary education.