Malawi: Primary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Malawi's primary education, teachers (% female) rose 0.98 percentage points on 2023 (from 46.1% to 47.08%).

Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2008 to 2023), the average change was +0.52 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.55 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 9.95 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 9.24 percentage points in 2021. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 27% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Malawi had the 97th highest value of the 105 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Malawi in the 2024 ranking

• Ghana — 93rd of 105: 50.21%
• Burkina Faso — 94th of 105: 50.07%
• Tanzania — 95th of 105: 47.8%
• Bhutan — 97th of 105: 45.79%
• Ethiopia — 98th of 105: 44.81%
• Comoros — 99th of 105: 43.24%

What this measures

Female teachers as a percentage of total primary education teachers includes full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The indicator measures the level of gender representation in the teaching profession, rather than the effectiveness and quality of teaching.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 19 values

Primary education, teachers (% female) in nearby economies

• Benin — 29.64% (2022)
• Botswana — 74.08% (2022)
• Burkina Faso — 50.07% (2024)
• Burundi — 55.24% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 63.51% (2022)
• Cameroon — 61.38% (2024)
• Central African Republic — 19.09% (2016)
• Chad — 21.27% (2024)
• Comoros — 43.24% (2024)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 32.35% (2023)
• Congo, Rep.

More education data for Malawi

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 4.75 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 139.02% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 140.69% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 137.34% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 1.16 million (2023)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 36.64% (2023)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Malawi's primary education, teachers (% female)?

47.08% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1999?

It is up 7.07 percentage points from 40% in 1999. The highest value was 54.97% in 2020 and the lowest 37.77% in 2007.

How does Malawi rank?

97th highest of 105 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers (% female) unusual for Malawi?

In 2024, Malawi's primary education, teachers (% female) rose 0.98 percentage points on 2023 (from 46.1% to 47.08%). Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2008 to 2023), the average change was +0.52 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.55 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.TCHR.FE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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