Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Malawi

Malawi: Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education was 40.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
40.8%
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
19th
of 185 countries
All-time high
47.8%
in 2009
All-time low
27.1%
in 2021
Years of data
20
2001–2024

Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Malawi, 2001–2024

010203040502001201220242001: 46.1 %2004: 29 %2005: 47.1 %2006: 46.5 %2007: 47.7 %2008: 46.5 %2009: 47.8 %2010: 44.7 %2011: 44 %2012: 42 %2013: 43.9 %2014: 42.3 %2015: 40.3 %2016: 44.9 %2017: 39.8 %2020: 38.2 %2021: 27.1 %2022: 42.3 %2023: 39.9 %2024: 40.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Malawi stood at 40.8%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.3% on the previous year and down 3.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Malawi peaked at 47.8% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 27.1%, in 2021.

Malawi ranks 19th of 185 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, both sexes (%) in Malawi, 2001 to 2024.
Year % Change
2001 46.1%
2004 29.0% -37.1%
2005 47.1% +62.6%
2006 46.5% -1.4%
2007 47.7% +2.6%
2008 46.5% -2.5%
2009 47.8% +2.8%
2010 44.7% -6.4%
2011 44.0% -1.5%
2012 42.0% -4.6%
2013 43.9% +4.6%
2014 42.3% -3.5%
2015 40.3% -4.9%
2016 44.9% +11.4%
2017 39.8% -11.3%
2020 38.2% -3.9%
2021 27.1% -29.1%
2022 42.3% +56.2%
2023 39.9% -5.8%
2024 40.8% +2.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 44.4% 29.0% 47.8% 7
2010s 42.7% 39.8% 44.9% 8
2020s 37.7% 27.1% 42.3% 5

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 16 Eswatini 45.1% compare
  2. 17 Namibia 43.7% compare
  3. 18 Sao Tome and Principe 43.0% compare
  4. 20 Gambia 36.8% compare
  5. 21 Lesotho 35.8% compare
  6. 22 Comoros 35.1% compare

See the full ranking of 400 places →

More education data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Malawi?
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Malawi was 40.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 47.8% in 2009.
What is the lowest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 27.1% in 2021.
How does Malawi rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education?
Malawi ranks 19th out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
Is percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. 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 Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-pupils-enrolled-in-lower-secondary-general-education-who-are-at-least-2-5/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
400 places, 6,909 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release