Literacy rate, population 25-64 years … rate gender GPIA adjusted in Malawi
Malawi: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years … rate gender GPIA adjusted was 0.76 GPIA in 2020. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi, 1987–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi is 0.76 GPIA, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of down 6.2% on the previous year and down 0.2% over five years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi peaked at 0.81 GPIA in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.42 GPIA, in 1987.
Malawi ranks 68th of 87 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years … rate gender GPIA adjusted in Malawi, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 0.42 GPIA | — |
| 1998 | 0.64 GPIA | +52.4% |
| 2017 | 0.7614 GPIA | +19.0% |
| 2018 | 0.81 GPIA | +6.4% |
| 2020 | 0.76 GPIA | -6.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 0.76 GPIA is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.57 GPIA, 1.3× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 0.76 GPIA is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.745 GPIA, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.42 GPIA | 0.42 GPIA | 0.42 GPIA | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.64 GPIA | 0.64 GPIA | 0.64 GPIA | 1 |
| 2010s | 0.7857 GPIA | 0.7614 GPIA | 0.81 GPIA | 2 |
| 2020s | 0.76 GPIA | 0.76 GPIA | 0.76 GPIA | 1 |
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 literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi was 0.76 GPIA in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 0.81 GPIA in 2018.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.42 GPIA in 1987.
- How does Malawi rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index?
- Malawi ranks 68th out of 87 countries with data for 2020.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release