Malawi Education Spending
Government expenditure on education as % of GDP SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS
Malawi's education spending was 2.31% in 2025, ranked 142nd globally. This represents a 16.1% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1986–2025.
Overview
Malawi's education spending stood at 2.31% in 2025, a decline of +0.44% from 2022. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 2.31% by 2025. Malawi ranked 142nd globally.
Malawi’s public education expenditure has remained modest, standing at 2.31 percent of GDP in 2025, which places the country 142nd in the world. The series, covering 22 years, shows a slight upward drift from the earliest recorded 2.20 percent in 1986, yet it never approached the all‑time peak of 3.85 percent recorded in 2015, nor fell to the trough of 2.18 percent in 1988. Compared with peers of similar rank, Malawi’s spending is marginally below Iran (Islamic Republic) at 2.34 percent and Albania at 2.34 percent, and just above Nicaragua’s 2.29 percent, suggesting that regional and developmental contexts exert comparable pressures on budgetary allocations for schooling. The persistence of low investment reflects limited fiscal space and competing priorities in a largely agrarian economy, while the modest rise since the late 1980s indicates gradual policy attention to human capital. Continued economic growth and external financing could lift the share of GDP devoted to education, potentially reversing the current low‑spending trajectory.
Data & projection
| Year | Education Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* trend | 2.31% | - | - |
| 2025 | 2.31% | −0.44% | #142 |
| 2022 | 2.75% | −0.57% | #37 |
| 2018 | 3.32% | +0.55% | #52 |
| 2017 | 2.77% | −0.51% | #35 |
| 2016 | 3.28% | −0.57% | #47 |
| 2015 | 3.85% | +0.53% | #67 |
| 2014 | 3.33% | −0.40% | #50 |
| 2013 | 3.72% | +1.19% | #58 |
| 2012 | 2.53% | −0.32% | #26 |
| 2011 | 2.85% | +0.42% | #34 |
| 2010 | 2.43% | +0.22% | #22 |
| 2003 | 2.21% | −0.89% | #12 |
| 2001 | 3.10% | −0.51% | #31 |
| 2000 | 3.61% | +0.17% | #49 |
| 1999 | 3.43% | −0.27% | #38 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Malawi matched the Currency Crisis Pattern pattern in 2016. Historically, 27% of countries showing this pattern (35 out of 128) saw education spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Malawi's education spending was 2.31% in 2025. Ranked 142nd globally. This represents a 16.1% decrease from the previous year.
Malawi's education spending peaked at 3.85% in 2015.
The lowest education spending in Malawi was 2.18% in 1988.
Malawi ranks 142nd globally in education spending as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Malawi's education spending is projected to reach 2.31% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The education spending of Malawi in 2025 was 2.31%. This ranks 142nd in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_malawi_education-spending-gdp,
title = {Malawi Education Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/malawi/education-spending-gdp/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}