Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi

Malawi: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes was 2.15 million number in 2015. ▲ Rising

Latest (2015)
2.15 million number
Change on year
up 13.0%
World rank
28th
of 83 countries
All-time high
2.15 million number
in 2015
All-time low
1.36 million number
in 1998
Years of data
5
1987–2015

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi, 1987–2015

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M1987200120151987: 1.4M number1998: 1.4M number2010: 1.8M number2014: 1.9M number2015: 2.2M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2015, illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi stood at 2.15 million number. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.0% on the previous year and up 17.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi peaked at 2.15 million number in 2015 and was at its lowest, 1.36 million number, in 1998.

Malawi ranks 28th of 83 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1.42 million number 1.42 million number 1.42 million number 1
1990s 1.36 million number 1.36 million number 1.36 million number 1
2010s 1.96 million number 1.84 million number 2.15 million number 3

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 25 Vietnam 2.46 million number compare
  2. 26 Cameroon 2.16 million number compare
  3. 27 Mexico 2.16 million number compare
  4. 29 Cambodia 1.50 million number compare
  5. 30 Burundi 1.38 million number compare
  6. 31 Rwanda 1.36 million number compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in Malawi was 2.15 million number in 2015, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 2.15 million number in 2015.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 1.36 million number in 1998.
How does Malawi rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes?
Malawi ranks 28th out of 83 countries with data for 2015.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.3%. 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 Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,239 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of adults from age 25 to age 64 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.