Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) was 3.06 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
3.06 million
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
50th
of 218 countries
All-time high
3.25 million
in 2013
All-time low
1.68 million
in 1970
Years of data
48
1970–2024
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Malaysia, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Malaysia stood at 3.06 million.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Malaysia peaked at 3.25 million in 2013 and was at its lowest, 1.68 million, in 1970.
That places Malaysia 50th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.68 million | — |
| 1975 | 1.89 million | +12.4% |
| 1977 | 1.93 million | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 1.97 million | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 1.99 million | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 2.01 million | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 2.03 million | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 2.07 million | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 2.12 million | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 2.15 million | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 2.20 million | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 2.27 million | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 2.34 million | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 2.40 million | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 2.46 million | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 2.54 million | +3.5% |
| 1992 | 2.63 million | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 2.69 million | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 2.74 million | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 2.80 million | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 2.86 million | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 2.89 million | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 2.91 million | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 3.03 million | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 3.03 million | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 3.01 million | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 3.06 million | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 3.16 million | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 3.20 million | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 3.22 million | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 3.22 million | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 3.23 million | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 3.23 million | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 3.23 million | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 3.24 million | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 3.24 million | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 3.25 million | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 3.18 million | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 3.11 million | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 3.10 million | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 3.08 million | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 3.07 million | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 3.07 million | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 3.08 million | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 3.09 million | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 3.02 million | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 3.09 million | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 3.06 million | -1.2% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 3.06 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 519,452, 5.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 3.06 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 227,656, 13.4× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.89 million | 1.68 million | 1.99 million | 5 |
| 1980s | 2.18 million | 2.01 million | 2.40 million | 9 |
| 1990s | 2.72 million | 2.46 million | 2.91 million | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.14 million | 3.01 million | 3.23 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.16 million | 3.07 million | 3.25 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.07 million | 3.02 million | 3.09 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Malaysia?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Malaysia was 3.06 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.25 million in 2013.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.68 million in 1970.
- How does Malaysia rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Malaysia ranks 50th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release