Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female (%) in Malawi
Malawi: Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female (%) was 2.2% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in Malawi, 1980–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in Malawi stood at 2.2%. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.1% on the previous year and up 236.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in Malawi peaked at 2.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1989.
That places Malawi 185th out of 189 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female (%) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.2% | — |
| 1981 | 0.2% | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 0.2% | -14.1% |
| 1983 | 0.2% | -4.7% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | -7.8% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 0.2% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 0.2% | +13.4% |
| 1988 | 0.2% | -9.9% |
| 1989 | 0.2% | -13.8% |
| 1990 | 0.3% | +58.6% |
| 1991 | 0.3% | +4.3% |
| 1992 | 0.3% | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | -8.6% |
| 1994 | 0.3% | +20.4% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | +13.4% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | +4.6% |
| 1999 | 0.2% | -52.2% |
| 2000 | 0.2% | +6.7% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | +21.1% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | +43.0% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | +207.9% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | +30.3% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | -45.3% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | +8.9% |
| 2015 | 0.9% | +20.1% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | +45.3% |
| 2020 | 1.9% | +48.5% |
| 2021 | 1.9% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | +17.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 2.2% is below the median for low income countries, which is 5.4%, 41% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 2.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.3%, 27% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female (%) 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 | +207.9% | 0.3% | 0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 8 |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 6 |
| 2010s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.3% | 6 |
| 2020s | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 182 Suriname 3.0% compare
- 183 Eritrea 2.6% compare
- 184 Chad 2.5% compare
- 186 Central African Republic 1.5% compare
- 187 Papua New Guinea 1.4% compare
- 188 Sierra Leone 1.1% compare
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 gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in Malawi?
- Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in Malawi was 2.2% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1989.
- How does Malawi rank for gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female?
- Malawi ranks 185th out of 189 countries with data for 2022.
- Is gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 236.9%. 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 Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release