Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in Malawi
Malawi: Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female was 89.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
89.0%
Change on year
up 5.6%
World rank
147th
of 206 countries
All-time high
94.7%
in 2017
All-time low
24.0%
in 1972
Years of data
47
1972–2023
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in Malawi, 1972–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 89.0% for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in 2023.
The figure is up 5.6% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in Malawi peaked at 94.7% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 24.0%, in 1972.
That places Malawi 147th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 24.0% | — |
| 1973 | 25.8% | +7.4% |
| 1975 | 31.6% | +22.6% |
| 1976 | 32.6% | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 33.0% | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 32.7% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 33.2% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 35.4% | +6.9% |
| 1981 | 35.7% | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 37.9% | +6.3% |
| 1983 | 36.3% | -4.3% |
| 1984 | 34.2% | -5.8% |
| 1985 | 35.2% | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 36.0% | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 38.0% | +5.6% |
| 1988 | 37.6% | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 40.4% | +7.6% |
| 1990 | 42.6% | +5.4% |
| 1991 | 43.9% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 55.0% | +25.2% |
| 1994 | 59.2% | +7.6% |
| 1995 | 88.1% | +48.8% |
| 1996 | 86.8% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 86.5% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 86.1% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 88.9% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 86.5% | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 83.9% | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 82.5% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 83.5% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 81.8% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 86.6% | +6.0% |
| 2009 | 86.4% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 88.6% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 90.1% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 89.9% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 93.8% | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 94.6% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 94.2% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 92.5% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 94.7% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 91.6% | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 90.3% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 93.8% | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 85.4% | -9.0% |
| 2022 | 84.2% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 89.0% | +5.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 30.4% | 24.0% | 33.2% | 7 |
| 1980s | 36.7% | 34.2% | 40.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 66.0% | 42.6% | 88.1% | 7 |
| 2000s | 85.1% | 81.8% | 88.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 92.0% | 88.6% | 94.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 88.1% | 84.2% | 93.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More education data for Malawi
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 5.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 87,834 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.79 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 594,322 (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 6.48 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 566,616 (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 5.16 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 94,991 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 16.86 % change on previous year (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in Malawi?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female in Malawi was 89.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 94.7% in 2017.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.0% in 1972.
- How does Malawi rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female?
- Malawi ranks 147th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. 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, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release