Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes was 27.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
27.0%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
4th
of 195 countries
All-time high
27.1%
in 2022
All-time low
2.1%
in 2020
Years of data
40
1973–2023
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Malawi, 1973–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 27.0% for repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Malawi peaked at 27.1% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2020.
Malawi ranks 4th of 195 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 18.9% | — |
| 1974 | 18.1% | -4.3% |
| 1975 | 15.9% | -12.0% |
| 1976 | 16.8% | +5.8% |
| 1977 | 14.4% | -14.2% |
| 1978 | 15.0% | +4.0% |
| 1979 | 16.7% | +11.2% |
| 1980 | 15.5% | -7.1% |
| 1981 | 13.6% | -12.5% |
| 1982 | 11.1% | -18.3% |
| 1983 | 12.7% | +14.2% |
| 1984 | 14.1% | +11.3% |
| 1985 | 16.1% | +14.2% |
| 1986 | 19.3% | +19.6% |
| 1987 | 19.4% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 20.9% | +8.1% |
| 1989 | 20.3% | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 18.3% | -9.8% |
| 1991 | 16.7% | -8.7% |
| 1992 | 19.1% | +14.2% |
| 1993 | 18.0% | -6.0% |
| 1995 | 15.3% | -14.7% |
| 1998 | 14.7% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 16.0% | +8.7% |
| 2000 | 17.4% | +8.5% |
| 2001 | 15.6% | -10.4% |
| 2004 | 20.3% | +30.6% |
| 2005 | 21.2% | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 20.7% | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 21.8% | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 19.0% | -12.7% |
| 2009 | 19.9% | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 20.5% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 20.4% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 20.2% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 20.2% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 23.2% | +14.5% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | -91.1% |
| 2022 | 27.1% | +1218.0% |
| 2023 | 27.0% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.6% | 14.4% | 18.9% | 7 |
| 1980s | 16.3% | 11.1% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.9% | 14.7% | 19.1% | 7 |
| 2000s | 19.5% | 15.6% | 21.8% | 8 |
| 2010s | 20.9% | 20.2% | 23.2% | 5 |
| 2020s | 18.7% | 2.1% | 27.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 1 Cook Islands 0.0% compare
- 1 Gabon 34.2% compare
- 2 Burundi 29.2% compare
- 3 Rwanda 28.0% compare
- 5 Central African Republic 23.2% compare
- 6 Madagascar 21.2% compare
- 7 Mali 21.2% compare
More education data for Malawi
- 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)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.7 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Malawi?
- Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in Malawi was 27.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 27.1% in 2022.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2020.
- How does Malawi rank for repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 4th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.3%. 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 primary education (all grades), both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release