Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malawi

Malawi: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 50.5% in 2015. ▲ Rising

Latest (2015)
50.5%
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
72nd
of 83 countries
All-time high
51.0%
in 2014
All-time low
27.7%
in 1987
Years of data
5
1987–2015

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malawi, 1987–2015

02040601987200120151987: 27.7 %1998: 46.6 %2010: 46.2 %2014: 51 %2015: 50.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malawi is 50.5%, measured in 2015.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 9.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malawi peaked at 51.0% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 27.7%, in 1987.

Malawi ranks 72nd of 83 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 27.7% 27.7% 27.7% 1
1990s 46.6% 46.6% 46.6% 1
2010s 49.2% 46.2% 51.0% 3

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 69 Egypt 60.5% compare
  2. 70 Burundi 52.0% compare
  3. 71 Nepal 51.3% compare
  4. 73 Nigeria 47.0% compare
  5. 74 Togo 45.3% compare
  6. 75 Mozambique 44.2% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malawi?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Malawi was 50.5% in 2015, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 51.0% in 2014.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 27.7% in 1987.
How does Malawi rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
Malawi ranks 72nd out of 83 countries with data for 2015.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.3%. 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 Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,216 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the female population between age 25 and age 64 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of female literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.