Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Malawi

Malawi: Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary was 16.6% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
16.6%
Change on year
up 10.6%
World rank
31st
of 139 countries
All-time high
21.5%
in 2005
All-time low
13.8%
in 1999
Years of data
14
1999–2019

Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Malawi, 1999–2019

051015201999200920191999: 13.8 %2002: 17.1 %2004: 19.8 %2005: 21.5 %2006: 20.5 %2007: 19.5 %2008: 16.5 %2009: 16.9 %2013: 16.1 %2014: 15.1 %2015: 15.3 %2016: 16 %2018: 15 %2019: 16.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Malawi recorded 16.6% for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in 2019.

The figure is up 10.6% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Malawi peaked at 21.5% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 1999.

That places Malawi 31st out of 139 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.

Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%) in Malawi, 1999 to 2019.
Year % Change
1999 13.8%
2002 17.1% +23.9%
2004 19.8% +15.7%
2005 21.5% +8.3%
2006 20.5% -4.6%
2007 19.5% -4.7%
2008 16.5% -15.3%
2009 16.9% +2.1%
2013 16.1% -4.8%
2014 15.1% -6.2%
2015 15.3% +1.4%
2016 16.0% +4.6%
2018 15.0% -5.9%
2019 16.6% +10.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 13.8% 13.8% 13.8% 1
2000s 18.8% 16.5% 21.5% 7
2010s 15.7% 15.0% 16.6% 6

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 28 British Virgin Islands 17.4% compare
  2. 29 Republic of Moldova 17.1% compare
  3. 30 Myanmar 16.8% compare
  4. 32 Cayman Islands 16.0% compare
  5. 33 Paraguay 15.7% compare
  6. 34 Kenya 15.4% compare

See the full ranking of 182 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Malawi?
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Malawi was 16.6% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 21.5% in 2005.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 13.8% in 1999.
How does Malawi rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
Malawi ranks 31st out of 139 countries with data for 2019.
Is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-adolescents-and-youth-of-primary-lower-secondary-and/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
182 places, 4,144 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Proportion of children, adolescents, and youth in the official age range for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education who are not enrolled in primary, lower secondary, or upper secondary education. To calculate the indicator, the number of students of the official age for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education enrolled in primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education is subtracted from the total population of primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. The result is expressed as a percentage of the population of the official age for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/