Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Malawi
Malawi: Persistence to last grade of primary, total was 54.1% in 2013. ▲ Rising
Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Malawi, 1973–2013
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of cohort.
Analysis
The most recent figure for persistence to last grade of primary, total in Malawi is 54.1%, measured in 2013.
That represents a change of down 13.2% on the previous year and up 59.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persistence to last grade of primary, total in Malawi peaked at 62.3% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 27.3%, in 1982.
That places Malawi 165th out of 179 countries with data for 2013, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of cohort | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 37.4% | — |
| 1974 | 43.9% | +17.6% |
| 1975 | 31.1% | -29.1% |
| 1976 | 32.2% | +3.4% |
| 1977 | 30.0% | -6.7% |
| 1978 | 31.6% | +5.4% |
| 1979 | 39.9% | +26.0% |
| 1980 | 33.2% | -16.7% |
| 1981 | 39.8% | +19.8% |
| 1982 | 27.3% | -31.3% |
| 1983 | 30.7% | +12.4% |
| 1984 | 41.3% | +34.5% |
| 1985 | 40.6% | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 54.1% | +33.1% |
| 1987 | 38.4% | -29.1% |
| 1988 | 52.3% | +36.2% |
| 1989 | 46.2% | -11.6% |
| 1990 | 39.4% | -14.7% |
| 1991 | 53.4% | +35.6% |
| 1992 | 34.8% | -34.9% |
| 1993 | 29.8% | -14.3% |
| 1995 | 28.4% | -4.9% |
| 1998 | 37.7% | +32.6% |
| 1999 | 36.3% | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 37.2% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 32.8% | -11.7% |
| 2004 | 33.8% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 36.1% | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 35.9% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 59.9% | +66.6% |
| 2008 | 41.9% | -29.9% |
| 2009 | 52.8% | +25.9% |
| 2010 | 50.9% | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 49.1% | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 62.3% | +26.9% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | -13.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35.2% | 30.0% | 43.9% | 7 |
| 1980s | 40.4% | 27.3% | 54.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.1% | 28.4% | 53.4% | 7 |
| 2000s | 41.3% | 32.8% | 59.9% | 8 |
| 2010s | 54.1% | 49.1% | 62.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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 persistence to last grade of primary, total in Malawi?
- Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Malawi was 54.1% in 2013, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest persistence to last grade of primary, total recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 62.3% in 2012.
- What is the lowest persistence to last grade of primary, total recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.3% in 1982.
- How does Malawi rank for persistence to last grade of primary, total?
- Malawi ranks 165th out of 179 countries with data for 2013.
- Is persistence to last grade of primary, total rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 59.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Persistence to last grade of primary is the percentage of children enrolled in the first grade of primary school who eventually reach the last grade of primary education. The estimate is based on the reconstructed cohort method.