Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%) (literacy male) in Malawi
Malawi: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%) (literacy male) was 66.1% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Malawi, 1987–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 66.1% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in 2020. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.5% on the previous year and up 11.7% over five years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Malawi peaked at 66.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 42.9%, in 1987.
Malawi ranks 55th of 87 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%) (literacy male) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 42.9% | — |
| 1998 | 52.0% | +21.1% |
| 2017 | 59.1% | +13.8% |
| 2018 | 62.0% | +4.9% |
| 2020 | 66.1% | +6.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 66.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 27.4%, 2.4× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 66.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 52.3%, 1.3× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 42.9% | 42.9% | 42.9% | 1 |
| 1990s | 52.0% | 52.0% | 52.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 60.6% | 59.1% | 62.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 66.1% | 66.1% | 66.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More education data for Malawi
- 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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Malawi?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Malawi was 66.1% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 66.1% in 2020.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.9% in 1987.
- How does Malawi rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male?
- Malawi ranks 55th out of 87 countries with data for 2020.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release