Share of the population with at least some formal education in Malta
Malta: Share of the population with at least some formal education was 97.0% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
97.0%
World rank
56th
of 111 countries
All-time high
97.5%
in 2010
All-time low
8.8%
in 1870
Years of data
31
1870–2020
Share of the population with at least some formal education in Malta, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of the population with at least some formal education in Malta is 97.0%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with at least some formal education in Malta peaked at 97.5% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 8.8%, in 1870.
That places Malta 56th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population with at least some formal education in Malta, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 8.8% | — |
| 1875 | 10.5% | +19.3% |
| 1880 | 12.5% | +19.0% |
| 1885 | 14.9% | +19.2% |
| 1890 | 17.5% | +17.4% |
| 1895 | 20.6% | +17.7% |
| 1900 | 24.4% | +18.4% |
| 1905 | 28.5% | +16.8% |
| 1910 | 23.6% | -17.2% |
| 1915 | 28.3% | +19.9% |
| 1920 | 31.9% | +12.7% |
| 1925 | 34.4% | +7.8% |
| 1930 | 34.9% | +1.5% |
| 1935 | 38.9% | +11.5% |
| 1940 | 43.9% | +12.9% |
| 1945 | 48.8% | +11.2% |
| 1950 | 52.5% | +7.6% |
| 1955 | 62.0% | +18.1% |
| 1960 | 71.7% | +15.6% |
| 1965 | 78.3% | +9.2% |
| 1970 | 77.7% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 77.6% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 77.5% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 82.3% | +6.2% |
| 1990 | 85.4% | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 89.2% | +4.4% |
| 2000 | 94.1% | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 97.4% | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 97.5% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 97.2% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 97.0% | -0.2% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 97.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 99.0%, 98% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Malta's 97.0% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 88.2%, 1.1× the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 9.7% | 8.8% | 10.5% | 2 |
| 1880s | 13.7% | 12.5% | 14.9% | 2 |
| 1890s | 19.1% | 17.5% | 20.6% | 2 |
| 1900s | 26.4% | 24.4% | 28.5% | 2 |
| 1910s | 26.0% | 23.6% | 28.3% | 2 |
| 1920s | 33.1% | 31.9% | 34.4% | 2 |
| 1930s | 36.9% | 34.9% | 38.9% | 2 |
| 1940s | 46.3% | 43.9% | 48.8% | 2 |
| 1950s | 57.2% | 52.5% | 62.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 75.0% | 71.7% | 78.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 77.7% | 77.6% | 77.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 79.9% | 77.5% | 82.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 87.3% | 85.4% | 89.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 95.8% | 94.1% | 97.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 97.3% | 97.2% | 97.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 97.0% | 97.0% | 97.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More education data for Malta
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4,664 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 70 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4,949 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4,626 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 32,424 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 27,337 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.1 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0495 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with at least some formal education in Malta?
- Share of the population with at least some formal education in Malta was 97.0% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with at least some formal education recorded in Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 97.5% in 2010.
- What is the lowest share of the population with at least some formal education recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.8% in 1870.
- How does Malta rank for share of the population with at least some formal education?
- Malta ranks 56th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the population with at least some formal education rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malta data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with at least some formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Based on the population aged 15 years and older.