Percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public in Malaysia
Malaysia: Percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public was 85.1% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public in Malaysia, 1998–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public in Malaysia is 85.1%, measured in 2021.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 9.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public in Malaysia peaked at 96.7% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 82.7%, in 2014.
That places Malaysia 87th out of 183 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 92.1% | — |
| 1999 | 92.1% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 94.0% | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 92.4% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 95.9% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 95.0% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 94.7% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 96.3% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 96.0% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 96.3% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 96.1% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 96.7% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 93.5% | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 94.5% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 88.4% | -6.5% |
| 2013 | 87.4% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 82.7% | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 83.0% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 86.4% | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 86.8% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 89.2% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 88.1% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 85.3% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 85.1% | -0.3% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 85.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 85.1%, 100% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 85.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 69.0%, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 92.1% | 92.1% | 92.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 95.3% | 92.4% | 96.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 88.0% | 82.7% | 94.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 85.2% | 85.1% | 85.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
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 percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public in Malaysia?
- Percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public in Malaysia was 85.1% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 96.7% in 2009.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.7% in 2014.
- How does Malaysia rank for percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public?
- Malaysia ranks 87th out of 183 countries with data for 2021.
- Is percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in upper secondary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release