This paper examines how socio-economic factors—such as wealth, gender, region, and access to social protection—affect school completion at the primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary levels in Malawi. Utilising the 2019–2020 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), the analysis employs both logistic regression and treatment effects estimation to understand the underlying dynamics.

The findings indicate that household wealth is the most significant factor influencing school completion. Children from the wealthiest quintile are over 30 times more likely to complete upper secondary school than those from the poorest quintile.

Additionally, the study explores the potential impact of Malawi’s Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) using treatment effects models. The results suggest that access to the SCTP has a positive effect on school completion, particularly for children in lower wealth quintiles, highlighting the importance of targeted social protection.

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