Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Malawi
Malawi: Literacy rate of young men vs. women was 81.3% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
81.3%
Change on year
down 7.9%
World rank
83rd
of 95 countries
All-time high
88.2%
in 2018
All-time low
70.4%
in 1987
Years of data
5
1987–2020
Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Malawi, 1987–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, literacy rate of young men vs. women in Malawi stood at 81.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.9% on the previous year and down 6.0% over five years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate of young men vs. women in Malawi peaked at 88.2% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 70.4%, in 1987.
Malawi ranks 83rd of 95 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 70.4% | — |
| 1998 | 82.1% | +16.5% |
| 2017 | 86.5% | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 88.2% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 81.3% | -7.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 70.4% | 70.4% | 70.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 82.1% | 82.1% | 82.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 87.4% | 86.5% | 88.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 81.3% | 81.3% | 81.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 80 Afghanistan 83.4% compare
- 81 Cote d'Ivoire 82.1% compare
- 82 Nigeria 81.3% compare
- 84 Pakistan 79.5% compare
- 85 Zambia 79.3% compare
- 86 Mozambique 78.4% compare
More education data for Malawi
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.40 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.79 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.111 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.6 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.1082 units per person (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate of young men vs. women in Malawi?
- Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Malawi was 81.3% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate of young men vs. women recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 88.2% in 2018.
- What is the lowest literacy rate of young men vs. women recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.4% in 1987.
- How does Malawi rank for literacy rate of young men vs. women?
- Malawi ranks 83rd out of 95 countries with data for 2020.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rate of young men vs. women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of men aged 15 to 24 years who can read and write.