Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes was 68.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malawi, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malawi stood at 68.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and up 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 86.2% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 58.4%, in 2014.
That places Malawi 14th out of 184 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 79.4% | — |
| 2002 | 84.9% | +6.9% |
| 2004 | 86.2% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 74.6% | -13.4% |
| 2006 | 72.7% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 71.0% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 69.3% | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 67.7% | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 69.9% | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 69.3% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 70.5% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 67.6% | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 58.4% | -13.7% |
| 2015 | 59.1% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 61.9% | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 66.5% | +7.5% |
| 2018 | 67.0% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 69.8% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 67.6% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 75.4% | +11.5% |
| 2022 | 69.6% | -7.6% |
| 2023 | 70.3% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 68.7% | -2.3% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 68.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 68.7%, 1.0× the median. (17 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 68.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 55.3%, 1.2× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 79.4% | 79.4% | 79.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 75.2% | 67.7% | 86.2% | 7 |
| 2010s | 66.0% | 58.4% | 70.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.3% | 67.6% | 75.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 11 Tokelau 70.3% compare
- 12 Madagascar 69.0% compare
- 13 Guinea 68.8% compare
- 15 Benin 67.9% compare
- 16 Mozambique 67.0% compare
- 17 Lao People's Democratic Republic 65.7% 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malawi?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malawi was 68.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 86.2% in 2004.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 58.4% in 2014.
- How does Malawi rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 14th out of 184 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.7%. 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release