School enrollment, primary (% gross) in Malawi
Malawi: School enrollment, primary (% gross) was 139.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, primary in Malawi, 1971–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
In 2024, school enrollment, primary in Malawi stood at 139.0%.
The figure is up 2.2% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, primary in Malawi peaked at 152.6% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 42.5%, in 1971.
Malawi ranks 4th of 205 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
School enrollment, primary (% gross) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 42.5% | — |
| 1972 | 49.6% | +16.8% |
| 1973 | 54.0% | +8.8% |
| 1974 | 59.4% | +10.0% |
| 1975 | 65.2% | +9.7% |
| 1976 | 66.1% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 65.2% | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 63.5% | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 63.9% | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 67.1% | +5.0% |
| 1981 | 66.9% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 70.2% | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 65.8% | -6.2% |
| 1984 | 60.7% | -7.8% |
| 1985 | 62.3% | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 62.7% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 65.1% | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 64.5% | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 69.6% | +8.0% |
| 1990 | 73.0% | +4.9% |
| 1991 | 74.4% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 87.9% | +18.1% |
| 1993 | 91.8% | +4.5% |
| 1994 | 99.8% | +8.7% |
| 1995 | 152.6% | +52.8% |
| 1996 | 149.8% | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 137.8% | -8.0% |
| 1999 | 136.8% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 139.2% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 143.6% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 140.3% | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 133.8% | -4.6% |
| 2005 | 131.8% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 131.5% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 128.7% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 136.0% | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 133.8% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 136.0% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 136.6% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 136.6% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 140.9% | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 140.7% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 139.5% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 137.8% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 139.2% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 136.7% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 139.3% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 136.4% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 127.0% | -6.9% |
| 2022 | 126.6% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 136.0% | +7.4% |
| 2024 | 139.0% | +2.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 139.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 96.8%, 1.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 139.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 100.4%, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School enrollment, primary (% gross) in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +52.8% | 99.8% | 152.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 58.8% | 42.5% | 66.1% | 9 |
| 1980s | 65.5% | 60.7% | 70.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 111.5% | 73.0% | 152.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 135.4% | 128.7% | 143.6% | 9 |
| 2010s | 138.3% | 136.0% | 140.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 133.0% | 126.6% | 139.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 1 Haiti 184.0% compare
- 2 Sierra Leone 162.1% compare
- 3 Rwanda 149.6% compare
- 5 Madagascar 132.7% compare
- 6 Nepal 128.6% compare
- 7 Turks and Caicos Islands 125.1% 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 school enrollment, primary in Malawi?
- School enrollment, primary in Malawi was 139.0% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, primary recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 152.6% in 1995.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, primary recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.5% in 1971.
- How does Malawi rank for school enrollment, primary?
- Malawi ranks 4th out of 205 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school enrollment, primary rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, primary (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.