Primary education, pupils in Malawi
Malawi: Primary education, pupils was 4.75 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Primary education, pupils in Malawi, 1971–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
In 2024, primary education, pupils in Malawi stood at 4.75 million. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Malawi peaked at 4.75 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 314,629, in 1971.
Malawi ranks 35th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 499,998 | 314,629 | 611,983 | 9 |
| 1980s | 790,819 | 667,222 | 1.03 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.94 million | 1.14 million | 2.60 million | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.94 million | 2.69 million | 3.25 million | 9 |
| 2010s | 4.08 million | 3.42 million | 4.59 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.50 million | 4.28 million | 4.75 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More education data for Malawi
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 57.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.1% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 139.0% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 87,834 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 140.7% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 137.3% (2024)
- Labor force, female 48.4% (2025)
- Labor force, total 8.32 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in Malawi?
- Primary education, pupils in Malawi was 4.75 million in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 4.75 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 314,629 in 1971.
- How does Malawi rank for primary education, pupils?
- Malawi ranks 35th out of 206 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.