Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes was 95.6% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Malawi, 1972–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 95.6% for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in 2019.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 99.0% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 31.1%, in 1972.
That places Malawi 109th out of 197 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 31.1% | — |
| 1973 | 33.6% | +7.9% |
| 1974 | 36.2% | +7.7% |
| 1975 | 39.8% | +10.0% |
| 1976 | 40.4% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 40.3% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 39.7% | -1.6% |
| 1979 | 40.1% | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 42.9% | +7.1% |
| 1981 | 43.4% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 45.9% | +5.9% |
| 1983 | 43.9% | -4.5% |
| 1984 | 41.4% | -5.7% |
| 1985 | 42.1% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 41.8% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 42.8% | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 42.2% | -1.3% |
| 1989 | 45.5% | +7.7% |
| 1990 | 48.5% | +6.7% |
| 1991 | 50.4% | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 60.4% | +19.7% |
| 1993 | 63.4% | +5.1% |
| 1994 | 66.6% | +5.0% |
| 1995 | 98.4% | +47.7% |
| 1996 | 96.8% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 91.9% | -5.0% |
| 1999 | 93.0% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 91.3% | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 93.5% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 90.7% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 85.1% | -6.1% |
| 2005 | 83.8% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 84.4% | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 82.7% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 87.7% | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 87.0% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 91.3% | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 92.8% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 93.4% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 97.9% | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 99.0% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 98.8% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 97.1% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 97.9% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 96.2% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 95.6% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 37.6% | 31.1% | 40.4% | 8 |
| 1980s | 43.2% | 41.4% | 45.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 74.4% | 48.5% | 98.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 87.3% | 82.7% | 93.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 96.0% | 91.3% | 99.0% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More education data for Malawi
- 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)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.7 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Malawi?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Malawi was 95.6% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 99.0% in 2014.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.1% in 1972.
- How does Malawi rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 109th out of 197 countries with data for 2019.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total enrollment in primary and secondary education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the total population of official primary and secondary education age. GER can exceed 100% due to the inclusion of over-aged and under-aged students because of early or late school entrance and grade repetition.