School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Malaysia
Malaysia: School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes was 1.67 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1.67 million
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
55th
of 220 countries
All-time high
1.73 million
in 2017
All-time low
796,436
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Malaysia, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 1.67 million for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in 2025.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Malaysia peaked at 1.73 million in 2017 and was at its lowest, 796,436, in 1970.
Malaysia ranks 55th of 220 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 796,436 | — |
| 1971 | 820,807 | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 841,602 | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 860,905 | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 878,527 | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 894,184 | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 907,780 | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 917,465 | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 922,029 | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 920,469 | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 915,476 | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 924,111 | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 939,923 | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 962,971 | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 986,148 | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 1.01 million | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 1.04 million | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 1.07 million | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 1.10 million | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 1.13 million | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 1.15 million | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 1.18 million | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 1.21 million | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 1.24 million | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 1.27 million | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 1.30 million | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 1.34 million | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 1.38 million | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 1.44 million | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 1.48 million | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 1.50 million | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 1.52 million | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 1.55 million | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 1.59 million | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 1.62 million | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 1.64 million | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 1.66 million | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 1.69 million | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 1.70 million | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 1.69 million | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 1.67 million | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 1.66 million | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 1.68 million | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 1.70 million | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 1.71 million | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 1.71 million | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 1.72 million | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 1.73 million | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 1.72 million | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 1.69 million | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 1.64 million | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 1.62 million | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 1.63 million | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 1.64 million | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 1.65 million | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 1.67 million | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 876,020 | 796,436 | 922,029 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.01 million | 915,476 | 1.13 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.30 million | 1.15 million | 1.48 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.62 million | 1.50 million | 1.70 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.70 million | 1.66 million | 1.73 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.64 million | 1.62 million | 1.67 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More education data for Malaysia
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.8 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 191,898 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 81,894 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 660,174 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 3.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 507,807 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 1.93 % change on previous year (2024)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Malaysia?
- School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Malaysia was 1.67 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.73 million in 2017.
- What is the lowest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 796,436 in 1970.
- How does Malaysia rank for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- Malaysia ranks 55th out of 220 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release