Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Malawi

Malawi: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female was 62.9% in 2015. ▬ Flat

Latest (2015)
62.9%
Change on year
down 7.2%
World rank
32nd
of 83 countries
All-time high
68.4%
in 1987
All-time low
62.9%
in 2015
Years of data
5
1987–2015

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Malawi, 1987–2015

02040601987200120151987: 68.41998: 67.42010: 66.62014: 67.82015: 62.9

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Malawi is 62.9%, measured in 2015. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of down 7.2% on the previous year and down 5.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Malawi peaked at 68.4% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 62.9%, in 2015.

That places Malawi 32nd out of 83 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the middle of the range.

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Malawi, 1987 to 2015.
Year Value Change
1987 68.4%
1998 67.4% -1.5%
2010 66.6% -1.1%
2014 67.8% +1.7%
2015 62.9% -7.2%

Malawi compared with similar countries

  • Malawi's 62.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 60.8%, 1.0× the median. (10 countries reporting)
  • Malawi's 62.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 61.2%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 68.4% 68.4% 68.4% 1
1990s 67.4% 67.4% 67.4% 1
2010s 65.8% 62.9% 67.8% 3

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 29 Thailand 63.6% compare
  2. 30 Bahrain 63.6% compare
  3. 31 Burundi 63.3% compare
  4. 33 Cameroon 62.2% compare
  5. 34 Kazakhstan 62.0% compare
  6. 35 Nigeria 61.9% 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, % female in Malawi?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Malawi was 62.9% in 2015, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 68.4% in 1987.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 62.9% in 2015.
How does Malawi rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female?
Malawi ranks 32nd out of 83 countries with data for 2015.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.6%. 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 Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-percent-female/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, % female
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

Share of the adult illiterate population (age 25-64) that is female.