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 19.5% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
19.5%
World rank
10th
of 34 countries
All-time high
30.8%
in 2004
All-time low
2.0%
in 2014
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
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Malawi is 19.5%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Malawi peaked at 30.8% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 2014.
That places Malawi 10th out of 34 countries with data for 2020, putting it 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 | 30.8% | — |
| 2010 | 22.1% | -28.4% |
| 2014 | 2.0% | -90.8% |
| 2016 | 11.3% | +452.9% |
| 2020 | 19.5% | +72.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 19.5% is below the median for low income countries, which is 20.4%, 95% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 19.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.4%, 95% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 30.8% | 30.8% | 30.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 11.8% | 2.0% | 22.1% | 3 |
| 2020s | 19.5% | 19.5% | 19.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 7 Côte d'Ivoire 26.4% compare
- 8 Mozambique 25.0% compare
- 9 Gambia 21.4% compare
- 11 Honduras 15.3% compare
- 12 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 14.3% compare
- 13 Cameroon 12.9% 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 19.5% 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 30.8% 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 2.0% in 2014.
- How does Malawi rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Malawi ranks 10th out of 34 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 11.8%. 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 rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, urban, 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