Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, poorest in Malawi
Malawi: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, poorest was 50.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
50.1%
World rank
16th
of 42 countries
All-time high
62.5%
in 2004
All-time low
42.4%
in 2014
Years of data
5
2004–2020
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, poorest in Malawi, 2004–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, poorest in Malawi is 50.1%, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, poorest in Malawi peaked at 62.5% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 42.4%, in 2014.
Malawi ranks 16th of 42 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, poorest in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 62.5% | — |
| 2010 | 56.4% | -9.8% |
| 2014 | 42.4% | -24.8% |
| 2016 | 44.6% | +5.2% |
| 2020 | 50.1% | +12.4% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 50.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 60.4%, 83% of the median. (7 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 50.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 71.9%, 70% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 62.5% | 62.5% | 62.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 47.8% | 42.4% | 56.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 50.1% | 50.1% | 50.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 13 Cameroon 57.7% compare
- 14 Honduras 53.9% compare
- 15 Bangladesh 50.2% compare
- 17 Sierra Leone 49.4% compare
- 18 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 41.9% compare
- 19 Jordan 38.9% 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 youth of upper secondary school age, poorest in Malawi?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, poorest in Malawi was 50.1% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, poorest recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 62.5% in 2004.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, poorest recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.4% in 2014.
- How does Malawi rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, poorest?
- Malawi ranks 16th out of 42 countries with data for 2020.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, poorest rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.0%. 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, poorest 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