Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Malawi
Malawi: Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population was 97.3% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Malawi, 1998–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Malawi is 97.3%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Malawi peaked at 97.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 91.2%, in 1998.
That places Malawi 66th out of 99 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 91.2% | — |
| 2005 | 93.9% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 92.8% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 96.7% | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 96.8% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 97.3% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 91.2% | 91.2% | 91.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 93.9% | 93.9% | 93.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 95.5% | 92.8% | 96.8% | 3 |
| 2020s | 97.3% | 97.3% | 97.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More education data for Malawi
- 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)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Malawi?
- Educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in Malawi was 97.3% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 97.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 91.2% in 1998.
- How does Malawi rank for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population?
- Malawi ranks 66th out of 99 countries with data for 2020.
- Is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. 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 Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population 25+ years, urban, male (%). 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