Malawi Youth Literacy Rate
Literacy rate among youth ages 15-24 SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS
Malawi's youth literacy rate was 80.73% in 2020, ranked 39th globally. This represents a 7.9% decrease from 2019. Data from World Bank, covering 1987–2020.
Overview
Malawi's youth literacy rate stood at 80.73% in 2020, a decline of +6.91pp from 2018. Malawi ranked 39th globally.
Malawi’s youth literacy rate has risen markedly from 59.02 % in 1987, the lowest point on record, to 80.73 % in 2020, positioning the country at 39th globally. The upward trajectory culminated in an all‑time peak of 87.64 % in 2018, a level comparable to Tanzania’s 87.55 % and well above Mauritania’s 70.86 %. The five‑year coverage of the data set shows that progress has been sustained despite modest fluctuations, reflecting expanded primary education enrollment and targeted literacy programmes. Relative to its regional peers, Malawi trails Zambia’s 85.86 % but remains ahead of Mozambique’s 70.08 %. Continued investment in teacher training, curriculum relevance and rural school infrastructure will be pivotal to maintain the positive trend and push the youth literacy rate beyond the 2028 horizon.
Data & projection
| Year | Youth Literacy Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 80.73% | −6.91pp | #39 |
| 2018 | 87.64% | +2.19pp | #41 |
| 2017 | 85.45% | +9.44pp | #41 |
| 1998 | 76.01% | +16.99pp | #2 |
| 1987 | 59.02% | – | #3 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Malawi matched the Currency Crisis Pattern pattern in 2016. Historically, 27% of countries showing this pattern (35 out of 128) saw youth literacy rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Malawi's youth literacy rate was 80.73% in 2020. Ranked 39th globally. This represents a 7.9% decrease from the previous year.
Malawi's youth literacy rate peaked at 87.64% in 2018.
The lowest youth literacy rate in Malawi was 59.02% in 1987.
Malawi ranks 39th globally in youth literacy rate as of 2020.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.ADT.1524.LT.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The youth literacy rate of Malawi in 2020 was 80.73%. This ranks 39th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_malawi_youth-literacy-rate,
title = {Malawi Youth Literacy Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/malawi/youth-literacy-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}