Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 2.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
2.1%
Change on year
down 6.6%
World rank
129th
of 203 countries
All-time high
3.3%
in 2007
All-time low
0.8%
in 2005
Years of data
9
1999–2022
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi, 1999–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 2.1% for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in 2022.
The figure is down 6.6% on the previous year and up 117.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 3.3% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2005.
Malawi ranks 129th of 203 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2.0% | — |
| 2004 | 0.8% | -58.8% |
| 2005 | 0.8% | -9.7% |
| 2006 | 1.3% | +67.5% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | +159.2% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | -60.5% |
| 2009 | 1.0% | -25.9% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | +132.6% |
| 2022 | 2.1% | -6.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 2.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 30.5%, 7% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 2.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16.9%, 12% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 0.8% | 3.3% | 6 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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 children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Malawi was 2.1% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 3.3% in 2007.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2005.
- How does Malawi rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 129th out of 203 countries with data for 2022.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 117.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%). 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