11 answers, 4 from Malaysia's own official bodies, with a link to each figure.
Malaysia's Ministry of Education schools had 2,753,819 primary pupils, 2,064,777 secondary students and 118,808 post-secondary students on 30 June 2025, according to Ministry of Education data on the open data portal.
Primary enrolment fell slightly from 2024 while secondary enrolment rose. The figures cover schools under the Ministry of Education, not private or international schools. The same source shows 236,976 primary and 180,486 secondary teachers in 2025.
Malaysia's adult literacy rate was 95.8% in 2022, according to the World Bank, using UNESCO Institute for Statistics data. It covers people aged 15 and over.
Literacy rates are usually estimated from censuses or surveys that ask people whether they can read and write, not from tests of reading skill, so they are a basic measure. International assessments of school pupils measure reading skills more directly.
Government spending on education in Malaysia was 3.51% of GDP in 2023, according to the World Bank. In the Budget 2027 speech, the government said the Ministry of Education will again receive the largest allocation, nearly RM69 billion, against RM66.2 billion in 2026.
The World Bank figure covers all levels of government spending on education, including higher education. The budget allocation is for the Ministry of Education only; higher education has its own ministry and allocation.
Early Schooling Aid (Bantuan Awal Persekolahan) will rise from RM150 to RM200 per pupil for the 2027 school session, according to the Budget 2027 speech. About 5.3 million pupils are eligible, with an allocation of RM1 billion, and the aid will be distributed at schools.
The aid is paid per pupil, so the speech gives the example of a family with four children receiving RM800. School calendars and payment arrangements are announced by the Ministry of Education.
The figures below use one definition for every country, so they can differ from national figures.
The latest figure from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, for 2017, is 99.6%. Its high point since 2005 was 2014, at 99.9%; its low point was 2008, at 95.1%. Across East Asia & Pacific the middle value was 94.6%, and Malaysia placed 2nd highest of 16. World rank, highest first: 6th of 134.
80.3%: that is gross secondary school enrolment in Malaysia for 2024, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The peak was 83.3% in 2014 and the low 73.2% in 2020. East Asia & Pacific median: 92.0%; Malaysia is 14th highest of 16. Worldwide: 78th of 100.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts gross tertiary enrolment in Malaysia at 38.5% in 2024. The peak was 45.4% in 2016 and the low 27.1% in 2005. It is 10th highest of 15 in East Asia & Pacific, where the median is 47.4%. Worldwide: 56th of 90.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts the adult literacy rate in Malaysia at 95.8% in 2022. No year since 2010 has been higher. East Asia & Pacific median: 95.8%; Malaysia is 4th highest of 7. World rank, highest first: 15th of 44.
In 2023, government spending on education in Malaysia was 3.5% of GDP, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The peak was 6.0% of GDP in 2009 and the low 3.5% of GDP in 2022. Across East Asia & Pacific the middle value was 3.8% of GDP, and Malaysia placed 13th highest of 20. Of 112 countries with 2023 data, 61st highest.
The latest figure from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, for 2017, is 12. Its high point since 2005 was 2005, at 17; its low point was 2014, at 11. It is 17th highest of 18 in East Asia & Pacific, where the median is 18. Of 130 countries with 2017 data, 110th highest.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts the primary completion rate in Malaysia at 87.7% in 2024. The peak was 104.0% in 2012 and the low 84.5% in 2022. East Asia & Pacific median: 98.9%; Malaysia is 17th highest of 20. Of 104 countries with 2024 data, 77th highest.
Read on 14 October 2026. Definitions · Report an error