Malawi 2015-16

egistered at a health facility (Table 2.10.2); this means that they received a birth report but did obtain a
birth certificate from a district officer.
2.8 CHILDREN’S LIVING ARRANGEMENTS AND PARENTAL SURVIVAL
Orphan
A child with one or both parents who are dead.
Sample: Children under age 18
One in five (20%) children under age 18 are not living with a biological parent (Table 2.11). Twelve
percent of children under age 18 are orphans with one or both parents who have died. The percentage of
children who are orphans rises rapidly with age, from 3% among children under age 5 to 10% among
children age 5-9 and 24% among children age 15-17. The Southern region has the highest percentage of
children who are orphans (14%).
Trends: The percentage of children under age 18 who do not live with a biological parent has remained
essentially the same between 2010 and 2015-16 (18% and 20%, respectively). Similarly, the percentage of
children under age 18 who are orphans has not changed since 2010; 13% children were orphans in 2010
compared with 12% in 2015-16.
2.9 EDUCATION
2.9.1 Educational Attainment
Median educational attainment
Half the population has completed less than the median number of years of
schooling and half the population has completed more than the median
number of years of schooling.
Sample: De facto household population age 6 and older
Overall, 86% of females and 92% of males age 6 and over have ever attended school. For the majority of
women, the primary education is the highest level of schooling attended or completed; 67% of women
have some primary education and 5% have completed primary education. Similarly, among men, 65%
have some primary education and 6% have completed the primary education. Only 5% of females and 9%
of males have completed secondary school or gone beyond secondary school. Fourteen percent of females
and 8% of males have never attended school. Median educational attainment is slightly higher for males
(3.9 years) than for females (3.1 years) (Tables 2.12.1 and 2.12.2).
Trends: Educational attainment at the household level has increased since 1992. Among women, the
median number of years of schooling has increased from 0 years in 1992 to 2.5 years in 2010 and 3.1 years
in 2015-16. Similar to women, the median number of years of schooling completed by men has increased
from 1.9 years in 1992 to 3.5 years in 2010 and 3.9 years in 2015-16. Over the same period, the percentage
of women and men with no education has decreased from 47% of women and 28% of men in 1992 to 19%
of women and 11% of men in 2010 to 14% of women and 8% of men in 2015-16.
14 • Housing Characteristics and Household Population