Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Malawi
Malawi: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 98.5% in 2007. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Malawi, 1820–2007
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 98.5% for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in 2007. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Malawi peaked at 98.5% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
That places Malawi 37th out of 190 countries with data for 2007, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 0.0% | — |
| 1825 | 0.0% | — |
| 1830 | 0.0% | — |
| 1835 | 0.0% | — |
| 1840 | 0.0% | — |
| 1845 | 0.0% | — |
| 1850 | 0.0% | — |
| 1855 | 0.0% | — |
| 1860 | 0.0% | — |
| 1865 | 0.0% | +100.0% |
| 1870 | 0.1% | +150.0% |
| 1875 | 0.1% | +80.0% |
| 1880 | 0.2% | +77.8% |
| 1885 | 0.3% | +62.5% |
| 1890 | 0.4% | +65.4% |
| 1895 | 0.7% | +62.8% |
| 1900 | 1.1% | +57.1% |
| 1905 | 1.7% | +56.4% |
| 1910 | 2.6% | +54.1% |
| 1915 | 4.0% | +52.1% |
| 1920 | 6.0% | +50.1% |
| 1925 | 8.9% | +47.6% |
| 1930 | 12.9% | +45.0% |
| 1935 | 18.4% | +41.7% |
| 1940 | 25.3% | +37.8% |
| 1945 | 33.7% | +33.3% |
| 1950 | 43.2% | +28.3% |
| 1955 | 40.1% | -7.3% |
| 1960 | 33.8% | -15.8% |
| 1965 | 24.0% | -28.9% |
| 1970 | 19.5% | -18.8% |
| 1975 | 33.0% | +69.2% |
| 1980 | 39.0% | +18.2% |
| 2007 | 98.5% | +152.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 98.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 68.3%, 1.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 98.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 86.4%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1830s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1840s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1870s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 2 |
| 1900s | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 2 |
| 1910s | 3.3% | 2.6% | 4.0% | 2 |
| 1920s | 7.5% | 6.0% | 8.9% | 2 |
| 1930s | 15.7% | 12.9% | 18.4% | 2 |
| 1940s | 29.5% | 25.3% | 33.7% | 2 |
| 1950s | 41.7% | 40.1% | 43.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 28.9% | 24.0% | 33.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 26.2% | 19.5% | 33.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 39.0% | 39.0% | 39.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 98.5% | 98.5% | 98.5% | 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 gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Malawi?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Malawi was 98.5% in 2007, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 98.5% in 2007.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Malawi rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Malawi ranks 37th out of 190 countries with data for 2007.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.