Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Malawi
Malawi: Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or was 12.7% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Malawi, 1977–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Malawi is 12.7%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.4% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Malawi peaked at 16.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1977.
Malawi ranks 121st of 131 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1980s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 7.7% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 13.9% | 12.1% | 16.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 12.7% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 118 Rwanda 15.7% compare
- 119 Sierra Leone 14.4% compare
- 120 Mozambique 13.2% compare
- 122 Tanzania, United Republic of 12.6% compare
- 123 Togo 12.6% compare
- 124 Ethiopia 11.4% compare
More education data for Malawi
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 87,834 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 57.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.1% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 139.02 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 139.0% (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 12.7% 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 16.4% in 2017.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1977.
- How does Malawi rank for educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or?
- Malawi ranks 121st out of 131 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 up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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, female (%). 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