Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Malawi
Malawi: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 8.9% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
8.9%
World rank
20th
of 36 countries
All-time high
17.9%
in 2004
All-time low
7.6%
in 2016
Years of data
5
2004–2020
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Malawi, 2004–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 8.9% for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in 2020.
The figure is down 43.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Malawi peaked at 17.9% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 2016.
Malawi ranks 20th of 36 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 17.9% | — |
| 2010 | 15.8% | -11.8% |
| 2014 | 8.5% | -46.1% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | -11.1% |
| 2020 | 8.9% | +17.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.9% | 17.9% | 17.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 10.6% | 7.6% | 15.8% | 3 |
| 2020s | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 17 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 11.5% compare
- 18 Mexico 10.6% compare
- 19 Bangladesh 10.6% compare
- 21 Colombia 7.3% compare
- 22 Costa Rica 7.0% compare
- 23 El Salvador 6.8% 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 out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Malawi?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Malawi was 8.9% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 17.9% in 2004.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 2016.
- How does Malawi rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Malawi ranks 20th out of 36 countries with data for 2020.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, rural, middle quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%). 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