Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Malawi
Malawi: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle was 33.6% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
33.6%
World rank
16th
of 42 countries
All-time high
52.5%
in 2004
All-time low
29.9%
in 2014
Years of data
5
2004–2020
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Malawi, 2004–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Malawi stood at 33.6%.
That represents a change of down 26.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Malawi peaked at 52.5% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 29.9%, in 2014.
That places Malawi 16th out of 42 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 52.5% | — |
| 2010 | 45.9% | -12.6% |
| 2014 | 29.9% | -34.8% |
| 2016 | 32.0% | +6.8% |
| 2020 | 33.6% | +5.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 33.6% is below the median for low income countries, which is 39.8%, 84% of the median. (7 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 33.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 47.1%, 71% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 52.5% | 52.5% | 52.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 35.9% | 29.9% | 45.9% | 3 |
| 2020s | 33.6% | 33.6% | 33.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 13 Cameroon 38.1% compare
- 14 Bangladesh 37.4% compare
- 15 Sierra Leone 34.1% compare
- 17 Nigeria 24.6% compare
- 18 Kyrgyzstan 23.4% compare
- 19 Mexico 23.2% 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, middle in Malawi?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle in Malawi was 33.6% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 52.5% in 2004.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.9% in 2014.
- How does Malawi rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle?
- Malawi ranks 16th out of 42 countries with data for 2020.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, middle rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.8%. 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, 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