Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) in Malawi
Malawi: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) was 40,807 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Malawi, 1980–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Malawi is 40,807, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 73.7% on the previous year and up 581.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Malawi peaked at 40,807 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 619, in 1984.
That places Malawi 124th out of 195 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 647 | — |
| 1981 | 697 | +7.7% |
| 1982 | 634 | -9.0% |
| 1983 | 638 | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 619 | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 659 | +6.5% |
| 1986 | 699 | +6.1% |
| 1987 | 824 | +17.9% |
| 1988 | 821 | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 736 | -10.4% |
| 1990 | 1,204 | +63.6% |
| 1991 | 1,275 | +5.9% |
| 1992 | 1,326 | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 1,225 | -7.6% |
| 1994 | 1,450 | +18.4% |
| 1995 | 1,588 | +9.5% |
| 1996 | 1,685 | +6.1% |
| 1999 | 876 | -48.0% |
| 2000 | 988 | +12.8% |
| 2002 | 1,322 | +33.8% |
| 2004 | 2,043 | +54.5% |
| 2005 | 2,053 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 2,117 | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 2,171 | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 7,140 | +228.9% |
| 2011 | 9,483 | +32.8% |
| 2012 | 5,277 | -44.4% |
| 2014 | 5,985 | +13.4% |
| 2015 | 7,347 | +22.8% |
| 2018 | 11,622 | +58.2% |
| 2020 | 18,394 | +58.3% |
| 2021 | 19,374 | +5.3% |
| 2022 | 23,491 | +21.3% |
| 2024 | 40,807 | +73.7% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 40,807 is below the median for low income countries, which is 59,030, 69% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 40,807 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 40,177, 1.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +228.9% | 2,171 | 7,140 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 697.4 | 619 | 824 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,329 | 876 | 1,685 | 8 |
| 2000s | 1,782 | 988 | 2,171 | 6 |
| 2010s | 7,809 | 5,277 | 11,622 | 6 |
| 2020s | 25,516 | 18,394 | 40,807 | 4 |
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 enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Malawi?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in Malawi was 40,807 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 40,807 in 2024.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 619 in 1984.
- How does Malawi rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female?
- Malawi ranks 124th out of 195 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 581.8%. 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 Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release