Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes was 64.6% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
64.6%
World rank
153rd
of 193 countries
All-time high
73.5%
in 2014
All-time low
27.4%
in 1973
Years of data
36
1973–2021
Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Malawi, 1973–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Malawi stood at 64.6%.
That represents a change of down 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 73.5% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 27.4%, in 1973.
Malawi ranks 153rd of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 27.4% | — |
| 1974 | 29.5% | +7.7% |
| 1975 | 32.3% | +9.7% |
| 1976 | 32.8% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 32.8% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 32.2% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 32.3% | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 34.3% | +5.9% |
| 1981 | 34.2% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 35.7% | +4.6% |
| 1983 | 33.8% | -5.5% |
| 1984 | 31.7% | -6.1% |
| 1985 | 32.3% | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 32.5% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 33.9% | +4.2% |
| 1988 | 33.1% | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 35.4% | +6.9% |
| 1990 | 37.1% | +5.0% |
| 1991 | 37.9% | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 44.4% | +17.3% |
| 1993 | 45.5% | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 48.1% | +5.7% |
| 1995 | 73.2% | +52.1% |
| 1996 | 72.2% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 71.0% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 69.8% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 71.6% | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 69.7% | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 65.8% | -5.6% |
| 2005 | 64.8% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 65.3% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 63.9% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 68.7% | +7.4% |
| 2011 | 69.5% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 73.5% | +5.8% |
| 2021 | 64.6% | -12.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 31.3% | 27.4% | 32.8% | 7 |
| 1980s | 33.7% | 31.7% | 35.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 53.7% | 37.1% | 73.2% | 8 |
| 2000s | 67.3% | 63.9% | 71.6% | 7 |
| 2010s | 70.5% | 68.7% | 73.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 64.6% | 64.6% | 64.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 150 Cameroon 65.4% compare
- 151 British Virgin Islands 65.0% compare
- 152 Bangladesh 64.8% compare
- 154 Mozambique 64.1% compare
- 155 Zimbabwe 64.1% compare
- 156 El Salvador 64.0% 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 to tertiary, both sexes in Malawi?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Malawi was 64.6% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 73.5% in 2014.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.4% in 1973.
- How does Malawi rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 153rd out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. 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 to tertiary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release