Primary completion rate, total in Malawi

Malawi: Primary completion rate, total was 70.1% in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
70.1%
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
161st
of 189 countries
All-time high
86.0%
in 2021
All-time low
21.3%
in 1974
Years of data
42
1974–2024

Primary completion rate, total in Malawi, 1974–2024

204060801974199920241974: 21.3 % of relevant age group1975: 22.6 % of relevant age group1976: 24.9 % of relevant age group1977: 29.6 % of relevant age group1978: 30.8 % of relevant age group1979: 32.9 % of relevant age group1980: 33.1 % of relevant age group1981: 35.4 % of relevant age group1982: 34.6 % of relevant age group1983: 34.2 % of relevant age group1984: 32.6 % of relevant age group1985: 34 % of relevant age group1986: 33.7 % of relevant age group1987: 34.3 % of relevant age group1988: 28.2 % of relevant age group1989: 29.2 % of relevant age group1990: 30.8 % of relevant age group1991: 32.7 % of relevant age group1992: 34.7 % of relevant age group1993: 35.4 % of relevant age group1994: 37.6 % of relevant age group1995: 51.4 % of relevant age group1996: 61.1 % of relevant age group1999: 66.2 % of relevant age group2000: 64.4 % of relevant age group2001: 66.1 % of relevant age group2002: 69.5 % of relevant age group2004: 60.9 % of relevant age group2005: 60.9 % of relevant age group2006: 60.7 % of relevant age group2007: 61.9 % of relevant age group2008: 67.1 % of relevant age group2009: 68.1 % of relevant age group2010: 65.9 % of relevant age group2011: 70.2 % of relevant age group2012: 73.5 % of relevant age group2013: 77.6 % of relevant age group2014: 77.7 % of relevant age group2019: 76.6 % of relevant age group2021: 86 % of relevant age group2023: 68.4 % of relevant age group2024: 70.1 % of relevant age group

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of relevant age group.

Analysis

The most recent figure for primary completion rate, total in Malawi is 70.1%, measured in 2024.

The figure is up 2.6% on the previous year and down 9.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary completion rate, total in Malawi peaked at 86.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 21.3%, in 1974.

Malawi ranks 161st of 189 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 27.0% 21.3% 32.9% 6
1980s 32.9% 28.2% 35.4% 10
1990s 43.7% 30.8% 66.2% 8
2000s 64.4% 60.7% 69.5% 9
2010s 73.6% 65.9% 77.7% 6
2020s 74.8% 68.4% 86.0% 3

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 158 Congo, Republic of 71.1% compare
  2. 159 Solomon Islands 70.5% compare
  3. 160 Nigeria 70.2% compare
  4. 162 Gabon 67.7% compare
  5. 163 Andorra, Principality of 67.4% compare
  6. 164 Lebanon 67.3% compare

See the full ranking of 234 places β†’

More aid effectiveness data for Malawi

All data for Malawi β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is primary completion rate, total in Malawi?
Primary completion rate, total in Malawi was 70.1% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary completion rate, total recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 86.0% in 2021.
What is the lowest primary completion rate, total recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 21.3% in 1974.
How does Malawi rank for primary completion rate, total?
Malawi ranks 161st out of 189 countries with data for 2024.
Is primary completion rate, total rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary completion rate, total in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://aid.statizoid.com/stat/primary-completion-rate-total-percent-of-relevant-age-group/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)
Unit
% of relevant age group
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
234 places, 6,786 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary completion rate, or gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, is the number of new entrants (enrollments minus repeaters) in the last grade of primary education, regardless of age, divided by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of primary education. Data limitations preclude adjusting for students who drop out during the final year of primary education.