Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes was 70.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Malawi, 1974–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Malawi stood at 70.1%.
The figure is up 2.6% on the previous year and down 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 86.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 21.3%, in 1974.
Malawi ranks 169th of 198 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 21.3% | — |
| 1975 | 22.6% | +6.0% |
| 1976 | 24.9% | +10.2% |
| 1977 | 29.6% | +18.9% |
| 1978 | 30.8% | +3.9% |
| 1979 | 32.9% | +6.8% |
| 1980 | 33.1% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 35.4% | +6.7% |
| 1982 | 34.6% | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 34.2% | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 32.6% | -4.6% |
| 1985 | 34.0% | +4.1% |
| 1986 | 33.7% | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 34.3% | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 28.2% | -17.7% |
| 1989 | 29.2% | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 30.8% | +5.5% |
| 1991 | 32.7% | +6.3% |
| 1992 | 34.7% | +6.0% |
| 1993 | 35.4% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 37.6% | +6.4% |
| 1995 | 51.4% | +36.6% |
| 1996 | 61.1% | +18.8% |
| 1999 | 66.2% | +8.4% |
| 2000 | 64.4% | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 66.1% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 69.5% | +5.1% |
| 2004 | 60.9% | -12.4% |
| 2005 | 60.9% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 60.7% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 61.9% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 67.1% | +8.5% |
| 2009 | 68.1% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 65.9% | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 70.2% | +6.6% |
| 2012 | 73.5% | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 77.6% | +5.6% |
| 2014 | 77.7% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 76.6% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 86.0% | +12.4% |
| 2023 | 68.4% | -20.5% |
| 2024 | 70.1% | +2.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 70.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 60.1%, 1.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 70.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.7%, 99% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes 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 | +36.6% | 37.6% | 51.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.0% | 21.3% | 32.9% | 6 |
| 1980s | 32.9% | 28.2% | 35.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.7% | 30.8% | 66.2% | 8 |
| 2000s | 64.4% | 60.7% | 69.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 73.6% | 65.9% | 77.7% | 6 |
| 2020s | 74.8% | 68.4% | 86.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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 intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Malawi?
- Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Malawi was 70.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 86.0% in 2021.
- What is the lowest gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.3% in 1974.
- How does Malawi rank for gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 169th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.7%. 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 intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release