Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education (headcount basis) in Malawi
Malawi: Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education (headcount basis) was 54.32 headcount basis in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
54.32 headcount basis
Change on year
up 7.1%
World rank
10th
of 113 countries
All-time high
110.17 headcount basis
in 2019
All-time low
50.74 headcount basis
in 2022
Years of data
10
2013–2023
Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education in Malawi, 2013–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in headcount basis.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 54.32 headcount basis for pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education in 2023.
That represents a change of up 7.1% on the previous year and down 46.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education in Malawi peaked at 110.17 headcount basis in 2019 and was at its lowest, 50.74 headcount basis, in 2022.
Malawi ranks 10th of 113 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education (headcount basis) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | headcount basis | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 101.13 headcount basis | — |
| 2015 | 65.27 headcount basis | -35.5% |
| 2016 | 69.46 headcount basis | +6.4% |
| 2017 | 66.3 headcount basis | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 59.85 headcount basis | -9.7% |
| 2019 | 110.17 headcount basis | +84.1% |
| 2020 | 55.02 headcount basis | -50.1% |
| 2021 | 51.03 headcount basis | -7.3% |
| 2022 | 50.74 headcount basis | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 54.32 headcount basis | +7.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 54.32 headcount basis is above the median for low income countries, which is 54.17 headcount basis, 1.0× the median. (14 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 54.32 headcount basis is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.8 headcount basis, 1.2× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 78.7 headcount basis | 59.85 headcount basis | 110.17 headcount basis | 6 |
| 2020s | 52.78 headcount basis | 50.74 headcount basis | 55.02 headcount basis | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 7 Sierra Leone 61.51 headcount basis compare
- 8 Burundi 60.79 headcount basis compare
- 9 Mozambique 57.29 headcount basis compare
- 11 Afghanistan 54.03 headcount basis compare
- 12 Palestine 53.24 headcount basis compare
- 13 Benin 51.88 headcount basis compare
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 pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education in Malawi?
- Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education in Malawi was 54.32 headcount basis in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 110.17 headcount basis in 2019.
- What is the lowest pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.74 headcount basis in 2022.
- How does Malawi rank for pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education?
- Malawi ranks 10th out of 113 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.3%. 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 Pupil-qualified teacher ratio in primary education (headcount basis). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release