Repetition rate in Grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: Repetition rate in Grade 3 of primary education, both sexes was 25.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Repetition rate in Grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi, 1973–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi stood at 25.8%.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and up 29.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 26.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 2020.
That places Malawi 5th out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Repetition rate in Grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 19.0% | — |
| 1974 | 17.8% | -6.2% |
| 1975 | 15.5% | -13.2% |
| 1976 | 17.0% | +10.2% |
| 1977 | 14.8% | -13.0% |
| 1978 | 14.9% | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 16.7% | +12.0% |
| 1980 | 15.6% | -6.6% |
| 1981 | 13.5% | -13.6% |
| 1982 | 11.2% | -16.6% |
| 1983 | 12.4% | +10.1% |
| 1984 | 13.2% | +6.4% |
| 1985 | 15.8% | +20.3% |
| 1986 | 18.7% | +18.1% |
| 1987 | 18.4% | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 19.8% | +7.4% |
| 1989 | 19.6% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 17.5% | -10.5% |
| 1991 | 10.4% | -40.4% |
| 1992 | 20.7% | +98.0% |
| 1993 | 18.0% | -13.0% |
| 1995 | 14.7% | -18.0% |
| 1998 | 15.6% | +5.8% |
| 1999 | 16.6% | +6.1% |
| 2000 | 18.6% | +12.4% |
| 2001 | 16.7% | -10.0% |
| 2004 | 21.7% | +29.8% |
| 2005 | 22.6% | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 22.9% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 24.2% | +5.4% |
| 2008 | 21.3% | -11.8% |
| 2009 | 21.2% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 21.3% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 21.6% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 20.3% | -5.7% |
| 2013 | 20.0% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 22.5% | +12.7% |
| 2020 | 1.8% | -91.9% |
| 2022 | 26.2% | +1331.0% |
| 2023 | 25.8% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.5% | 14.8% | 19.0% | 7 |
| 1980s | 15.8% | 11.2% | 19.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.2% | 10.4% | 20.7% | 7 |
| 2000s | 21.2% | 16.7% | 24.2% | 8 |
| 2010s | 21.2% | 20.0% | 22.5% | 5 |
| 2020s | 17.9% | 1.8% | 26.2% | 3 |
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 repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi?
- Repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi was 25.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 26.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 2020.
- How does Malawi rank for repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 5th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Repetition rate in Grade 3 of primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 40 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release