Adult Literacy Rate in Malawi

Malawi: Adult Literacy Rate was 68.08 in 2022. β–² Rising

Latest (2022)
68.08
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
91st
of 110 countries
All-time high
76.72
in 2018
All-time low
48.54
in 1987
Years of data
9
1987–2022

Adult Literacy Rate in Malawi, 1987–2022

0204060801987200420221987: 48.51998: 64.12010: 61.32014: 65.12015: 62.12017: 72.82018: 76.72020: 70.22022: 68.1

Source: International Monetary Fund.

Analysis

In 2022, adult literacy rate in Malawi stood at 68.08.

The figure is down 3.0% on the previous year and up 11.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate in Malawi peaked at 76.72 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 48.54, in 1987.

That places Malawi 91st out of 110 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 48.54 48.54 48.54 1
1990s 64.13 64.13 64.13 1
2010s 67.63 61.31 76.72 5
2020s 69.12 68.08 70.15 2

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 88 Timor-Leste 69.4 compare
  2. 89 Democratic Republic of the Congo 68.5 compare
  3. 90 Angola 68.18 compare
  4. 92 Haiti 68.01 compare
  5. 93 Mauritania 66.96 compare
  6. 94 Guinea-Bissau 63.93 compare

See the full ranking of 110 places β†’

More gender data for Malawi

All data for Malawi β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate in Malawi?
Adult literacy rate in Malawi was 68.08 in 2022, according to International Monetary Fund.
What is the highest adult literacy rate recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 76.72 in 2018.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 48.54 in 1987.
How does Malawi rank for adult literacy rate?
Malawi ranks 91st out of 110 countries with data for 2022.
Is adult literacy rate rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Adult Literacy Rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult Literacy Rate in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult Literacy Rate
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
110 places, 1,086 data points, 1975–2024
Last refreshed

Gender-disaggregated data on educational outcomes.