Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Malaysia
Malaysia: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 88.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Malaysia, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children in primary school age who are in school in Malaysia is 88.0%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.1% on the previous year and down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Malaysia peaked at 97.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1820.
That places Malaysia 164th out of 209 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1830s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1840s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 2 |
| 1870s | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 2 |
| 1880s | 2.5% | 2.1% | 2.9% | 2 |
| 1890s | 4.7% | 4.0% | 5.5% | 2 |
| 1900s | 8.6% | 7.4% | 9.9% | 2 |
| 1910s | 15.2% | 13.2% | 17.3% | 2 |
| 1920s | 25.5% | 22.4% | 28.5% | 2 |
| 1930s | 39.4% | 35.5% | 43.3% | 2 |
| 1940s | 55.3% | 51.3% | 59.4% | 2 |
| 1950s | 59.6% | 52.3% | 67.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 93.0% | 90.0% | 96.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 92.8% | 91.0% | 94.8% | 4 |
| 1980s | 95.0% | 95.0% | 95.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 96.3% | 96.0% | 96.8% | 3 |
| 2000s | 95.3% | 92.9% | 97.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 93.0% | 89.1% | 95.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 88.5% | 87.5% | 90.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 161 Macao 89.2% compare
- 162 Mauritania 88.7% compare
- 163 Philippines 88.4% compare
- 165 Cote d'Ivoire 87.4% compare
- 166 Ukraine 87.1% compare
- 167 Puerto Rico 86.7% compare
More education data for Malaysia
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 70.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 21.3% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 90.4% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 273,792 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.54 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 90.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in Malaysia?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Malaysia was 88.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 97.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1820.
- How does Malaysia rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Malaysia ranks 164th out of 209 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.