Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malaysia
Malaysia: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes was 34.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
34.9%
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
51st
of 184 countries
All-time high
46.7%
in 2020
All-time low
26.4%
in 2004
Years of data
26
1998–2024
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malaysia, 1998–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malaysia is 34.9%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malaysia peaked at 46.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 26.4%, in 2004.
Malaysia ranks 51st of 184 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 43.1% | — |
| 1999 | 42.0% | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 42.4% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 35.3% | -16.8% |
| 2002 | 35.4% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 29.0% | -17.9% |
| 2004 | 26.4% | -8.9% |
| 2005 | 31.5% | +19.0% |
| 2006 | 34.8% | +10.6% |
| 2007 | 38.8% | +11.5% |
| 2008 | 37.8% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 36.7% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 35.7% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 36.5% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 31.2% | -14.3% |
| 2013 | 36.2% | +16.0% |
| 2014 | 39.3% | +8.6% |
| 2016 | 39.9% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 40.6% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 45.0% | +11.0% |
| 2019 | 42.0% | -6.6% |
| 2020 | 46.7% | +11.3% |
| 2021 | 46.3% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 37.5% | -19.1% |
| 2023 | 35.3% | -5.7% |
| 2024 | 34.9% | -1.2% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 34.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 19.6%, 1.8× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 34.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 20.0%, 1.7× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 42.5% | 42.0% | 43.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 34.8% | 26.4% | 42.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.5% | 31.2% | 45.0% | 9 |
| 2020s | 40.2% | 34.9% | 46.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 48 Myanmar 36.1% compare
- 49 Solomon Islands 36.1% compare
- 50 Micronesia, Federated States of 35.7% compare
- 52 Kyrgyzstan 33.5% compare
- 53 Dominican Republic 31.1% compare
- 54 Botswana 30.7% compare
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malaysia?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Malaysia was 34.9% 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 46.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.4% in 2004.
- How does Malaysia rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes?
- Malaysia ranks 51st 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 Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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