Human capital composite index in Malawi
Malawi: Human capital composite index was 0.4243 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Human capital composite index in Malawi, 1972–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in standard deviations from the yearly mean.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 0.4243 standard deviations from the yearly mean for human capital composite index in 2023.
That represents a change of up 298.9% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human capital composite index in Malawi peaked at 0.8408 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2019 and was at its lowest, -1.15 standard deviations from the yearly mean, in 1988.
Malawi ranks 64th of 202 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Human capital composite index in Malawi, year by year
| Year | standard deviations from the yearly mean | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | -0.7993 standard deviations from the yearly mean | — |
| 1973 | -0.8194 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +2.5% |
| 1974 | -0.8086 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.3% |
| 1975 | -0.7805 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -3.5% |
| 1976 | -0.766 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.9% |
| 1977 | -0.7756 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +1.2% |
| 1978 | -0.8389 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +8.2% |
| 1979 | -0.9055 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +7.9% |
| 1980 | -0.8156 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -9.9% |
| 1981 | -0.8986 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +10.2% |
| 1982 | -0.8273 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -7.9% |
| 1983 | -0.9695 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +17.2% |
| 1984 | -1.06 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +9.9% |
| 1985 | -1.05 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.3% |
| 1986 | -1.11 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +5.7% |
| 1987 | -0.998 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -10.3% |
| 1988 | -1.15 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +15.1% |
| 1989 | -1.05 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -8.6% |
| 1990 | -0.9559 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -9.0% |
| 1991 | -0.9439 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.3% |
| 1992 | -0.6268 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -33.6% |
| 1993 | -0.6077 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -3.0% |
| 1994 | -0.5007 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -17.6% |
| 1995 | 0.2888 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -157.7% |
| 1996 | 0.4666 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +61.5% |
| 1998 | 0.3507 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -24.8% |
| 1999 | 0.3087 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -12.0% |
| 2000 | 0.3302 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +7.0% |
| 2001 | 0.2853 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -13.6% |
| 2002 | 0.6605 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +131.6% |
| 2004 | 0.4657 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -29.5% |
| 2005 | 0.3956 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -15.1% |
| 2006 | 0.3923 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 0.1719 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -56.2% |
| 2008 | 0.4522 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +163.0% |
| 2009 | 0.3433 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -24.1% |
| 2010 | -0.0572 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -116.6% |
| 2011 | 0.0747 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -230.7% |
| 2012 | 0.0539 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -27.8% |
| 2013 | 0.422 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +682.4% |
| 2014 | 0.4837 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +14.6% |
| 2015 | 0.3746 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -22.6% |
| 2016 | 0.1844 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -50.8% |
| 2017 | 0.0955 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -48.2% |
| 2018 | 0.2569 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +169.1% |
| 2019 | 0.8408 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +227.3% |
| 2020 | 0.2822 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -66.4% |
| 2021 | 0.1646 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -41.7% |
| 2022 | -0.2133 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -229.6% |
| 2023 | 0.4243 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -298.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 0.4243 standard deviations from the yearly mean is above the median for low income countries, which is -1.31 standard deviations from the yearly mean. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 0.4243 standard deviations from the yearly mean is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -0.5172 standard deviations from the yearly mean. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Human capital composite index 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | +682.4% | 0.0539 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.422 standard deviations from the yearly mean |
| 2023 | +298.9% | -0.2133 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.4243 standard deviations from the yearly mean |
| 2011 | +230.7% | -0.0572 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.0747 standard deviations from the yearly mean |
| 2019 | +227.3% | 0.2569 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.8408 standard deviations from the yearly mean |
| 2022 | -229.6% | 0.1646 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.2133 standard deviations from the yearly mean |
| 2018 | +169.1% | 0.0955 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.2569 standard deviations from the yearly mean |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -0.8117 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.9055 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.766 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 8 |
| 1980s | -0.9937 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.15 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.8156 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.2467 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.9559 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.4666 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 9 |
| 2000s | 0.3886 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.1719 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.6605 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.2729 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.0572 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.8408 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1644 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.2133 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 0.4243 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 61 Greece 0.4553 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 62 Palau 0.4541 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 63 Italy 0.4257 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 65 Croatia 0.4175 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 66 New Zealand 0.4004 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 67 Mozambique 0.3954 standard deviations from the yearly mean 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 human capital composite index in Malawi?
- Human capital composite index in Malawi was 0.4243 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest human capital composite index recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 0.8408 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2019.
- What is the lowest human capital composite index recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.15 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1988.
- How does Malawi rank for human capital composite index?
- Malawi ranks 64th out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human capital composite index rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Human capital composite index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
An equal-weighted index of 4 indicators: Literacy rate, adult total; School enrollment, primary; School enrollment, secondary; Government expenditure on education, total. Each is standardised against that year's spread across all reporting countries before averaging, so a score of 0 is the average country and +1 is one standard deviation above it.
Equal-weighted mean of the standardised inputs below.
Computed from
- Literacy rate, adult total Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- School enrollment, primary Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- School enrollment, secondary Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- Government expenditure on education, total Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
An equal-weighted index of 4 indicators: Literacy rate, adult total; School enrollment, primary; School enrollment, secondary; Government expenditure on education, total. Each is standardised against that year's spread across all reporting countries before averaging, so a score of 0 is the average country and +1 is one standard deviation above it.