Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 68.0% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
68.0%
Change on year
down 7.6%
World rank
67th
of 87 countries
All-time high
73.6%
in 2018
All-time low
45.7%
in 1987
Years of data
5
1987–2020
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi, 1987–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 68.0% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in 2020.
The figure is down 7.6% on the previous year and down 2.6% over five years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 73.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 45.7%, in 1987.
Malawi ranks 67th of 87 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 45.7% | — |
| 1998 | 59.9% | +31.1% |
| 2017 | 69.8% | +16.6% |
| 2018 | 73.6% | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 68.0% | -7.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 45.7% | 45.7% | 45.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 59.9% | 59.9% | 59.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 71.7% | 69.8% | 73.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 68.0% | 68.0% | 68.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi was 68.0% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 73.6% in 2018.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.7% in 1987.
- How does Malawi rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 67th 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, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release