LILONGWE, Malawi – More than 180,000 learners dropped out of primary school during the 2025/26 academic year, according to the latest Malawi Education Statistics Report.

The report, released by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, puts the number of primary school dropouts at 180,708 out of 5.66 million enrolled learners.

Girls accounted for 92,494 cases, compared with 88,214 boys. Truancy was identified as the leading contributing factor, accounting for 53,652 cases, while poverty accounted for 50,267.

At secondary school level, dropout cases increased from 25,977 in the previous academic year to 26,872 in 2025/26.

School fees accounted for the largest share of secondary school dropouts, representing 44.7 percent of the recorded cases.

Education stakeholders are calling for stronger support systems, including bursaries, scholarships and measures to address barriers keeping vulnerable children out of school.