Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes was 70,758 in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
70,758
Change on year
down 6.1%
World rank
64th
of 204 countries
All-time high
75,354
in 2021
All-time low
16,470
in 2005
Years of data
9
1999–2022
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi, 1999–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2022, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi stood at 70,758.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.1% on the previous year and up 202.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 75,354 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 16,470, in 2005.
Malawi ranks 64th of 204 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 38,412 | — |
| 2004 | 17,811 | -53.6% |
| 2005 | 16,470 | -7.5% |
| 2006 | 28,279 | +71.7% |
| 2007 | 75,144 | +165.7% |
| 2008 | 30,521 | -59.4% |
| 2009 | 23,370 | -23.4% |
| 2021 | 75,354 | +222.4% |
| 2022 | 70,758 | -6.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 70,758 is below the median for low income countries, which is 454,562, 16% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 70,758 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 224,299, 32% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38,412 | 38,412 | 38,412 | 1 |
| 2000s | 31,932 | 16,470 | 75,144 | 6 |
| 2020s | 73,056 | 70,758 | 75,354 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 61 Cambodia 76,741 compare
- 62 Guinea-Bissau 75,097 compare
- 63 Gambia 74,577 compare
- 65 Myanmar 65,967 compare
- 66 Mozambique 64,247 compare
- 67 Dominican Republic 56,334 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 out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi?
- Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi was 70,758 in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 75,354 in 2021.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 16,470 in 2005.
- How does Malawi rank for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 64th out of 204 countries with data for 2022.
- Is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 202.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release