country profile

Malawi

Sub-Saharan AfricaLow income22.22M population

Last updated July 15, 2026

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Fragile/Conflict-Affected Country: This country is classified as experiencing institutional and social fragility.

In fragile and conflict-affected settings, severe data gaps, rapid disruption, and uneven reporting can distort index values. These scores should be read as a limited signal, not a complete picture of conditions in the country.

Critically unprepared

Composite GEFRI Score

Systemwide critical constraints

Malawi shows critically low readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (8th percentile worldwide). Core capabilities are weak across most dimensions, and essential systems face significant constraints.

23.31Composite score
Global percentile
8th
Global rank
#164
Regional rank
#34
Viewing data for
Critically unprepared
Infrastructure
15.79
4th percentileGlobal avg. 55.13
Critically unprepared
Human Capital
25.16
8th percentileGlobal avg. 47.36
Critically unprepared
Innovation
26.64
7th percentileGlobal avg. 46.19
Severely underprepared
Governance
38.94
36th percentileGlobal avg. 47.46
Critically unprepared
Access & Parity
10.00
33rd percentileGlobal avg. 48.49

Country profile

Malawi faces substantial readiness constraints across core dimensions. Its weakest results are in Innovation (27, 7th percentile), Human Capital (25, 8th percentile), GEFRI Composite (23, 8th percentile) and Infrastructure (16, 4th percentile). These gaps continue to weigh on overall readiness.

Uneven scores across dimensions show where readiness conditions are less aligned. Limited electricity or internet coverage still constrains classrooms, preventing large-scale digital instruction. Literacy or tertiary enrollment gaps thin the talent pipeline and limit the country’s capacity to develop future-ready skills.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Gender parity leans toward boys in secondary pathways, signalling persistent barriers for girls.

Regionally, Infrastructure lags peers the most, signalling where investment could have the highest impact.

Key insights

Falls below many peers at the 8th percentile.

Places 164th worldwide.

Holds a regional position of 34th within Sub-Saharan Africa.

Scores range from Governance (38.9) to Access & Parity (10.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.

Trails regional peers most clearly in Infrastructure.

Regional peers: Sub-Saharan Africa

Composite GEFRI Score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
651South Africa57.44
742Mauritius55.85
SeychellesMicrostate55.06
803Botswana53.75
994Ghana48.08
1085Namibia44.23
1146Cabo Verde39.44
1207Eswatini36.39
1258Equatorial Guinea35.21
1269Senegal34.71
12710Gabon34.67
12811Rwanda34.54
13312Kenya32.83
13513Gambia, The32.46
13614Cote d'Ivoire32.04
13715Lesotho31.46
14016Tanzania29.45
14217Benin29.31
Sao Tome and PrincipeFCSMicrostate29.18
14318Togo28.93
14419Zimbabwe28.61
14520CameroonFCS28.42
14621Mauritania27.91
14822Zambia27.69
15023Angola27.20
15324Guinea25.53
15425MozambiqueFCS25.03
15526Madagascar24.90
15627Uganda24.77
15728Congo, Rep.FCS24.76
15829NigeriaFCS24.43
16030EthiopiaFCS24.27
16131Burkina FasoFCS24.20
16232ComorosFCS24.06
16333Sierra Leone23.91
16434MalawiFCS23.31
16535Liberia22.51
16636Guinea-BissauFCS22.30
16737MaliFCS21.77
16838Burundi20.39
16939SudanFCS19.96
17040NigerFCS19.49
17141EritreaFCS19.24
17242Congo, Dem. Rep.FCS19.13
17343ChadFCS17.06
17544SomaliaFCS16.33
17645South SudanFCS16.19
17746Central African RepublicFCS16.10