Gross enrolment ratio, primary, male (%) in Malawi
Malawi: Gross enrolment ratio, primary, male (%) was 137.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, male in Malawi, 1972–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, gross enrolment ratio, primary, male in Malawi stood at 137.3%.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary, male in Malawi peaked at 160.9% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 62.4%, in 1972.
That places Malawi 4th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, male (%) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 62.4% | — |
| 1973 | 67.4% | +8.0% |
| 1974 | 72.9% | +8.1% |
| 1975 | 79.4% | +9.0% |
| 1976 | 79.6% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 77.6% | -2.5% |
| 1978 | 74.8% | -3.6% |
| 1979 | 74.9% | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 78.2% | +4.4% |
| 1981 | 77.0% | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 80.0% | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 74.3% | -7.1% |
| 1984 | 68.2% | -8.2% |
| 1985 | 69.9% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 69.4% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 71.5% | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 70.1% | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 75.7% | +7.9% |
| 1990 | 79.3% | +4.8% |
| 1991 | 80.4% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 94.8% | +17.9% |
| 1993 | 95.4% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 102.7% | +7.6% |
| 1995 | 160.9% | +56.6% |
| 1996 | 157.6% | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 141.2% | -10.4% |
| 2000 | 143.4% | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 148.0% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 144.6% | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 134.2% | -7.2% |
| 2005 | 132.3% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 131.3% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 128.6% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 136.5% | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 134.0% | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 135.6% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 135.7% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 136.3% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 141.0% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 140.9% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 139.6% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 137.5% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 138.6% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 137.6% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 138.8% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 135.7% | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 124.6% | -8.1% |
| 2022 | 124.6% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 134.6% | +8.0% |
| 2024 | 137.3% | +2.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 137.3% is above the median for low income countries, which is 96.9%, 1.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 137.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 101.3%, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gross enrolment ratio, primary, male (%) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +56.6% | 102.7% | 160.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 73.6% | 62.4% | 79.6% | 8 |
| 1980s | 73.4% | 68.2% | 80.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 114.1% | 79.3% | 160.9% | 8 |
| 2000s | 137.0% | 128.6% | 148.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 138.2% | 135.6% | 141.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 131.3% | 124.6% | 137.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 1 Haiti 185.8% compare
- 2 Sierra Leone 157.9% compare
- 3 Rwanda 152.5% compare
- 5 Nepal 130.6% compare
- 6 Madagascar 129.9% compare
- 7 Turks and Caicos Islands 126.1% 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, primary, male in Malawi?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary, male in Malawi was 137.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary, male recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 160.9% in 1995.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary, male recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.4% in 1972.
- How does Malawi rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary, male?
- Malawi ranks 4th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary, male rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release