Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, rural in Malawi
Malawi: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, rural was 50.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
50.0%
World rank
17th
of 38 countries
All-time high
61.8%
in 2004
All-time low
43.6%
in 2014
Years of data
5
2004–2020
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, rural 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, rural in Malawi is 50.0%, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, rural in Malawi peaked at 61.8% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 43.6%, in 2014.
That places Malawi 17th out of 38 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, rural in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 61.8% | — |
| 2010 | 55.7% | -9.8% |
| 2014 | 43.6% | -21.7% |
| 2016 | 44.5% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 50.0% | +12.4% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 50.0% is below the median for low income countries, which is 64.2%, 78% of the median. (7 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 50.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 74.1%, 68% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 61.8% | 61.8% | 61.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 48.0% | 43.6% | 55.7% | 3 |
| 2020s | 50.0% | 50.0% | 50.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 14 Cameroon 57.8% compare
- 15 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 55.0% compare
- 16 Mexico 52.6% compare
- 18 Sierra Leone 49.6% compare
- 19 Bangladesh 49.4% compare
- 20 Russian Federation 45.4%
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, rural in Malawi?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, rural in Malawi was 50.0% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, rural recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 61.8% in 2004.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, rural recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.6% in 2014.
- How does Malawi rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, rural?
- Malawi ranks 17th out of 38 countries with data for 2020.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, rural rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.2%. 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, rural, 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