Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary … lower male in Malawi
Malawi: Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary … lower male was 26.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Malawi, 1977–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Malawi stood at 26.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.9% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Malawi peaked at 30.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 1977.
That places Malawi 122nd out of 133 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary … lower male in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 4.6% | — |
| 1987 | 8.5% | +84.4% |
| 1998 | 12.9% | +51.4% |
| 2005 | 20.9% | +61.8% |
| 2011 | 27.0% | +29.0% |
| 2015 | 27.6% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 30.4% | +10.2% |
| 2020 | 26.2% | -13.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 26.2% is above the median for low income countries, which is 24.1%, 1.1× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 26.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 33.4%, 78% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 1 |
| 1980s | 8.5% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 12.9% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 20.9% | 20.9% | 20.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 28.3% | 27.0% | 30.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 26.2% | 26.2% | 26.2% | 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 educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Malawi?
- Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Malawi was 26.2% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 30.4% in 2017.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 1977.
- How does Malawi rank for educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or?
- Malawi ranks 122nd out of 133 countries with data for 2020.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. 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 rate, completed lower secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release