Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Malaysia

Malaysia: Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower was 4.8% in 2017. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2017)
4.8%
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
60th
of 149 countries
All-time high
22.5%
in 1970
All-time low
1.5%
in 2004
Years of data
23
1970–2017

Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Malaysia, 1970–2017

05101520251970199320171970: 22.5 %1971: 21.5 %1972: 20.3 %1998: 3.9 %1999: 4 %2000: 3.3 %2001: 4.5 %2002: 5.9 %2003: 3.2 %2004: 1.5 %2005: 2.5 %2006: 4.9 %2007: 6.2 %2008: 6.5 %2009: 6.2 %2010: 6.3 %2011: 5.9 %2012: 5 %2013: 3.7 %2014: 3.8 %2015: 4.7 %2016: 5 %2017: 4.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Malaysia is 4.8%, measured in 2017.

That represents a change of down 3.0% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Malaysia peaked at 22.5% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2004.

That places Malaysia 60th out of 149 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, both sexes (%) in Malaysia, 1970 to 2017.
Year % Change
1970 22.5%
1971 21.5% -4.6%
1972 20.3% -5.7%
1998 3.9% -80.9%
1999 4.0% +2.9%
2000 3.3% -16.3%
2001 4.5% +33.7%
2002 5.9% +32.5%
2003 3.2% -46.1%
2004 1.5% -53.3%
2005 2.5% +68.8%
2006 4.9% +96.4%
2007 6.2% +26.6%
2008 6.5% +5.0%
2009 6.2% -4.7%
2010 6.3% +0.8%
2011 5.9% -5.8%
2012 5.0% -16.2%
2013 3.7% -24.5%
2014 3.8% +0.9%
2015 4.7% +23.8%
2016 5.0% +5.9%
2017 4.8% -3.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 21.4% 20.3% 22.5% 3
1990s 3.9% 3.9% 4.0% 2
2000s 4.5% 1.5% 6.5% 10
2010s 4.9% 3.7% 6.3% 8

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 57 Ukraine 5.7% compare
  2. 58 Türkiye 5.6% compare
  3. 59 Libya 4.9% compare
  4. 61 Slovakia 4.6% compare
  5. 62 Dominican Republic 4.5% compare
  6. 63 Aruba 4.4% compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Malaysia?
Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Malaysia was 4.8% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 22.5% in 1970.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2004.
How does Malaysia rank for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower?
Malaysia ranks 60th out of 149 countries with data for 2017.
Is out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
192 places, 4,615 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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