Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi
Malawi: Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index was 1.18 index in 2025. ▲ Rising
Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in index.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi is 1.18 index, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 18.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi peaked at 1.18 index in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.3683 index, in 1981.
Malawi ranks 21st of 164 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi, year by year
| Year | index | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.3683 index | — |
| 1982 | 0.388 index | +5.4% |
| 1983 | 0.4015 index | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 0.4162 index | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 0.4276 index | +2.7% |
| 1986 | 0.4395 index | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 0.4535 index | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 0.4613 index | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 0.4624 index | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 0.4575 index | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 0.4517 index | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 0.4578 index | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 0.4708 index | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 0.4821 index | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 0.5023 index | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 0.5329 index | +6.1% |
| 1997 | 0.5752 index | +7.9% |
| 1998 | 0.616 index | +7.1% |
| 1999 | 0.6544 index | +6.2% |
| 2000 | 0.6865 index | +4.9% |
| 2001 | 0.7201 index | +4.9% |
| 2002 | 0.7461 index | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 0.7542 index | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 0.7446 index | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 0.7351 index | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 0.7338 index | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 0.7402 index | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 0.752 index | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 0.781 index | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 0.8177 index | +4.7% |
| 2011 | 0.8628 index | +5.5% |
| 2012 | 0.9081 index | +5.2% |
| 2013 | 0.9485 index | +4.4% |
| 2014 | 0.9741 index | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 0.9965 index | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 1.02 index | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 1.04 index | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 1.05 index | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 1.07 index | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 1.09 index | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 1.12 index | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 1.14 index | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 1.15 index | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 1.17 index | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 1.18 index | +1.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1.18 index is above the median for low income countries, which is 1 index, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1.18 index is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.05 index, 1.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.4243 index | 0.3683 index | 0.4624 index | 9 |
| 1990s | 0.5201 index | 0.4517 index | 0.6544 index | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7394 index | 0.6865 index | 0.781 index | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9676 index | 0.8177 index | 1.07 index | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.14 index | 1.09 index | 1.18 index | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More gender data for Malawi
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 9,494 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.4 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 15,667 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 15,667 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.13 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 330,369 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 332,767 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 322,764 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 324,764 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 316,113 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi?
- Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in Malawi was 1.18 index in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 1.18 index in 2025.
- What is the lowest lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3683 index in 1981.
- How does Malawi rank for lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index?
- Malawi ranks 21st out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
An adjusted gender parity index of 1 indicates equal lower secondary school completion rates between boys and girls. Values below 1 favor boys, and values above 1 favor girls.