Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Malawi
Malawi: Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher was 46.8% in 2020. β Volatile
Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Malawi, 1977β2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Malawi is 46.8%, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Malawi peaked at 47.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 7.3%, in 1977.
Malawi ranks 122nd of 136 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.3% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 13.2% | 13.2% | 13.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 19.8% | 19.8% | 19.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 47.3% | 47.3% | 47.3% | 1 |
| 2020s | 46.8% | 46.8% | 46.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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)
- School enrollment, primary 139.0% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per capita 0.0041 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Malawi?
- Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Malawi was 46.8% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 47.3% in 2015.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.3% in 1977.
- How does Malawi rank for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher?
- Malawi ranks 122nd out of 136 countries with data for 2020.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. 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 primary education or higher, population 25+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release