Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi
Malawi: Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, both sexes was 77.4% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi, 1973–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2018, survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi stood at 77.4%. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.
The figure is up 30.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 77.4% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 36.5%, in 1982.
Malawi ranks 159th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 56.6% | — |
| 1974 | 56.3% | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 46.0% | -18.3% |
| 1976 | 43.1% | -6.3% |
| 1977 | 43.3% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 46.2% | +6.8% |
| 1979 | 51.7% | +12.0% |
| 1980 | 44.5% | -13.9% |
| 1981 | 49.6% | +11.3% |
| 1982 | 36.5% | -26.3% |
| 1983 | 40.1% | +9.9% |
| 1984 | 54.7% | +36.4% |
| 1985 | 51.4% | -6.2% |
| 1986 | 63.1% | +22.9% |
| 1987 | 50.8% | -19.6% |
| 1988 | 65.5% | +29.0% |
| 1989 | 57.2% | -12.6% |
| 1990 | 50.6% | -11.6% |
| 1991 | 67.4% | +33.2% |
| 1992 | 46.8% | -30.5% |
| 1993 | 45.3% | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 41.1% | -9.4% |
| 1998 | 47.9% | +16.6% |
| 1999 | 53.5% | +11.6% |
| 2000 | 54.4% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 50.9% | -6.6% |
| 2004 | 50.2% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 52.1% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 50.3% | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 74.0% | +47.0% |
| 2008 | 59.5% | -19.5% |
| 2009 | 68.3% | +14.7% |
| 2010 | 68.0% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 66.5% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 76.2% | +14.6% |
| 2013 | 71.7% | -5.9% |
| 2018 | 77.4% | +7.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 49.0% | 43.1% | 56.6% | 7 |
| 1980s | 51.3% | 36.5% | 65.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 50.4% | 41.1% | 67.4% | 7 |
| 2000s | 57.5% | 50.2% | 74.0% | 8 |
| 2010s | 72.0% | 66.5% | 77.4% | 5 |
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 survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi?
- Survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, both sexes in Malawi was 77.4% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 77.4% in 2018.
- What is the lowest survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.5% in 1982.
- How does Malawi rank for survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, both sexes?
- Malawi ranks 159th out of 187 countries with data for 2018.
- Is survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.1%. 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 Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release