School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes was 9.98 years in 2023. ▬ Flat
School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Malawi, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Malawi stood at 9.98 years.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.0% on the previous year and down 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 10.76 years in 2014 and was at its lowest, 9.33 years, in 1998.
That places Malawi 42nd out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 9.33 years | — |
| 1999 | 10.42 years | +11.7% |
| 2000 | 9.92 years | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 10.27 years | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 10.3 years | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 9.73 years | -5.6% |
| 2005 | 9.62 years | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 9.67 years | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 9.57 years | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 10.15 years | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 10.04 years | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 10.17 years | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 10.26 years | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 10.25 years | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 10.63 years | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 10.76 years | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 10.71 years | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 10.51 years | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 10.52 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 10.32 years | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 10.31 years | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 10.39 years | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 9.48 years | -8.8% |
| 2022 | 9.42 years | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 9.98 years | +6.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.88 years | 9.33 years | 10.42 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 9.92 years | 9.57 years | 10.3 years | 9 |
| 2010s | 10.44 years | 10.17 years | 10.76 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.82 years | 9.42 years | 10.39 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More education data for Malawi
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,021 tertiary education (2022)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0497 % change on previous year (2014)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 87,834 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 57.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.1% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Malawi?
- School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Malawi was 9.98 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 10.76 years in 2014.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.33 years in 1998.
- How does Malawi rank for school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 42nd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release