Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Malawi

Malawi: Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or was 35.1% in 2020. β–² Rising

Latest (2020)
35.1%
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
91st
of 108 countries
All-time high
40.8%
in 2015
All-time low
21.1%
in 1998
Years of data
7
1998–2020

Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Malawi, 1998–2020

0102030401998200920201998: 21.1 %2005: 29.6 %2011: 31.1 %2013: 32 %2015: 40.8 %2017: 36.2 %2020: 35.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Malawi recorded 35.1% for educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in 2020.

The figure is down 3.0% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Malawi peaked at 40.8% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 21.1%, in 1998.

That places Malawi 91st out of 108 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 21.1% 21.1% 21.1% 1
2000s 29.6% 29.6% 29.6% 1
2010s 35.0% 31.1% 40.8% 4
2020s 35.1% 35.1% 35.1% 1

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 88 Burundi 37.1% compare
  2. 89 Uruguay 36.0% compare
  3. 90 Rwanda 35.2% compare
  4. 92 Bhutan 33.9% compare
  5. 93 Honduras 32.3% compare
  6. 94 Ghana 30.0% compare

See the full ranking of 108 places β†’

More education data for Malawi

All data for Malawi β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Malawi?
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Malawi was 35.1% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 40.8% in 2015.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 21.1% in 1998.
How does Malawi rank for educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or?
Malawi ranks 91st out of 108 countries with data for 2020.
Is educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. 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 upper secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-upper-secondary-education-or-higher-population-25-5/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
108 places, 1,747 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release