Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Malawi
Malawi: Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education was 8 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
8
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
159th
of 214 countries
All-time high
8
in 1998
All-time low
8
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Malawi, 1998–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Malawi is 8, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Malawi peaked at 8 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 8, in 1998.
That places Malawi 159th out of 214 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 8 | — |
| 1999 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 8 | +0.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 8 is above the median for low income countries, which is 8, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 8 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
| 2000s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 159 Belize 8 compare
- 159 Eritrea 8 compare
- 159 Ethiopia 8 compare
- 159 Micronesia, Federated States of 8 compare
- 159 Croatia 8 compare
- 159 India 8 compare
- 159 Nepal 8 compare
- 159 Poland 8 compare
- 159 Sudan 8 compare
- 159 Somalia 8 compare
- 159 Serbia 8 compare
- 159 South Sudan 8 compare
- 159 Samoa 8 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 number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Malawi?
- Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Malawi was 8 in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 8 in 1998.
- What is the lowest number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 8 in 1998.
- How does Malawi rank for number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education?
- Malawi ranks 159th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education guaranteed in legal frameworks. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release