Malawi is a low-income country with a population of 21.7M people. The capital and largest city is Lilongwe, with 989K residents. Malawi shares land borders with Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania.
Malawi ranks 151/197 by GDP ($11B) and 195/197 by GDP per capita ($508). The top export category is processed food, beverages & tobacco, while the top import is raw materials & minerals.
Main facts and rankings
Malawi
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Population |
22673513
|
61/197 |
| GDP |
$11B
2024 |
151/197 |
| GDP per capita |
$508
2024 |
195/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$1,859
2024 |
189/197 |
| Government debt |
$8.19B
2024 |
133/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
73%
2025 |
52/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$378
2024 |
173/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$2,610
2025 |
149/197 |
| Land area | 36,402 sq mi | 107/197 |
| Population density | 595 ppl/mi² | 50/197 |
| Fertility rate | 3.65 | 39/196 |
| Median age | 18.9 years | 181/196 |
| Life expectancy | 67.7 years | 152/197 |
Malawi trends dashboard: time-series charts
| Year | GDP |
|---|---|
| 1980 | $1,801,156,775 |
| 1981 | $1,801,193,910 |
| 1982 | $1,717,379,495 |
| 1983 | $1,780,148,049 |
| 1984 | $1,758,028,656 |
| 1985 | $1,646,442,273 |
| 1986 | $1,722,586,299 |
| 1987 | $1,721,711,808 |
| 1988 | $2,008,189,508 |
| 1989 | $2,314,205,130 |
| 1990 | $2,737,087,862 |
| 1991 | $3,206,783,830 |
| 1992 | $2,618,837,835 |
| 1993 | $3,013,392,658 |
| 1994 | $1,719,864,761 |
| 1995 | $2,033,701,498 |
| 1996 | $3,319,573,750 |
| 1997 | $3,875,785,863 |
| 1998 | $2,547,609,590 |
| 1999 | $2,584,478,924 |
| 2000 | $2,537,307,580 |
| 2001 | $2,498,008,665 |
| 2002 | $5,087,328,438 |
| 2003 | $4,669,789,300 |
| 2004 | $5,058,726,350 |
| 2005 | $5,320,409,651 |
| 2006 | $5,818,279,739 |
| 2007 | $6,451,210,219 |
| 2008 | $7,743,617,352 |
| 2009 | $9,009,887,947 |
| 2010 | $10,128,323,011 |
| 2011 | $11,648,142,958 |
| 2012 | $8,773,203,178 |
| 2013 | $8,031,571,928 |
| 2014 | $8,801,326,169 |
| 2015 | $9,219,474,379 |
| 2016 | $7,909,868,618 |
| 2017 | $8,943,543,794 |
| 2018 | $9,879,231,592 |
| 2019 | $11,051,865,580 |
| 2020 | $11,769,313,598 |
| 2021 | $12,378,129,751 |
| 2022 | $12,429,060,151 |
| 2023 | $12,712,150,082 |
| 2024 | $11,008,925,323 |
| Year | GDP per capita |
|---|---|
| 1980 | $287.5 |
| 1981 | $276.4 |
| 1982 | $253.3 |
| 1983 | $252.4 |
| 1984 | $239.7 |
| 1985 | $216.1 |
| 1986 | $217.9 |
| 1987 | $207.6 |
| 1988 | $229.4 |
| 1989 | $252.2 |
| 1990 | $286.7 |
| 1991 | $326 |
| 1992 | $258.4 |
| 1993 | $293 |
| 1994 | $169.2 |
| 1995 | $200.4 |
| 1996 | $321 |
| 1997 | $367 |
| 1998 | $236 |
| 1999 | $233.9 |
| 2000 | $224.2 |
| 2001 | $215.5 |
| 2002 | $428 |
| 2003 | $383 |
| 2004 | $405 |
| 2005 | $414 |
| 2006 | $441 |
| 2007 | $475 |
| 2008 | $554 |
| 2009 | $626 |
| 2010 | $683 |
| 2011 | $763 |
| 2012 | $558 |
| 2013 | $497 |
| 2014 | $530 |
| 2015 | $540 |
| 2016 | $451 |
| 2017 | $496 |
| 2018 | $533 |
| 2019 | $581 |
| 2020 | $603 |
| 2021 | $617 |
| 2022 | $604 |
| 2023 | $602 |
| 2024 | $508 |
Malawi's life expectancy calculator
| Year | Life expectancy, years |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 32.7 |
| 1951 | 32.8 |
| 1952 | 33 |
| 1953 | 33.2 |
| 1954 | 33.3 |
| 1955 | 33.6 |
| 1956 | 33.8 |
| 1957 | 34.1 |
| 1958 | 34.4 |
| 1959 | 34.8 |
| 1960 | 35 |
| 1961 | 35.2 |
| 1962 | 35.4 |
| 1963 | 35.6 |
| 1964 | 35.7 |
| 1965 | 35.7 |
| 1966 | 35.8 |
| 1967 | 35.9 |
| 1968 | 36.1 |
| 1969 | 36.3 |
| 1970 | 36.6 |
| 1971 | 37.1 |
| 1972 | 37.6 |
| 1973 | 38.4 |
| 1974 | 39.2 |
| 1975 | 40.1 |
| 1976 | 41 |
| 1977 | 42 |
| 1978 | 43 |
| 1979 | 43.7 |
| 1980 | 44.3 |
| 1981 | 44.7 |
| 1982 | 44.8 |
| 1983 | 45 |
| 1984 | 44.8 |
| 1985 | 44.6 |
| 1986 | 44.3 |
| 1987 | 43.9 |
| 1988 | 43.6 |
| 1989 | 43.5 |
| 1990 | 43.6 |
| 1991 | 43.5 |
| 1992 | 43.6 |
| 1993 | 43.6 |
| 1994 | 43.8 |
| 1995 | 43.8 |
| 1996 | 44 |
| 1997 | 44.2 |
| 1998 | 44.3 |
| 1999 | 45.1 |
| 2000 | 46.2 |
| 2001 | 47.2 |
| 2002 | 48.2 |
| 2003 | 49.6 |
| 2004 | 51.1 |
| 2005 | 52.5 |
| 2006 | 53.7 |
| 2007 | 54.7 |
| 2008 | 55.7 |
| 2009 | 56.7 |
| 2010 | 57.8 |
| 2011 | 58.9 |
| 2012 | 59.9 |
| 2013 | 60.8 |
| 2014 | 61.7 |
| 2015 | 62.3 |
| 2016 | 63.2 |
| 2017 | 63.9 |
| 2018 | 64.5 |
| 2019 | 65 |
| 2020 | 65.2 |
| 2021 | 64.8 |
| 2022 | 66 |
| 2023 | 67.4 |
| 2024 | 67.6 |
| 2025 | 67.7 |
Malawi's population clock and projection
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 3,628,134 |
| 1961 | 3,715,534 |
| 1962 | 3,806,307 |
| 1963 | 3,900,506 |
| 1964 | 3,997,305 |
| 1965 | 4,096,157 |
| 1966 | 4,197,926 |
| 1967 | 4,303,012 |
| 1968 | 4,411,054 |
| 1969 | 4,521,184 |
| 1970 | 4,633,944 |
| 1971 | 4,751,434 |
| 1972 | 4,874,475 |
| 1973 | 5,003,938 |
| 1974 | 5,141,337 |
| 1975 | 5,287,367 |
| 1976 | 5,443,384 |
| 1977 | 5,614,983 |
| 1978 | 5,810,132 |
| 1979 | 6,028,749 |
| 1980 | 6,265,529 |
| 1981 | 6,516,454 |
| 1982 | 6,778,879 |
| 1983 | 7,051,709 |
| 1984 | 7,332,810 |
| 1985 | 7,620,508 |
| 1986 | 7,906,480 |
| 1987 | 8,293,174 |
| 1988 | 8,753,262 |
| 1989 | 9,176,220 |
| 1990 | 9,545,852 |
| 1991 | 9,844,227 |
| 1992 | 10,135,079 |
| 1993 | 10,284,024 |
| 1994 | 10,164,894 |
| 1995 | 10,150,117 |
| 1996 | 10,352,228 |
| 1997 | 10,562,035 |
| 1998 | 10,792,876 |
| 1999 | 11,047,804 |
| 2000 | 11,315,942 |
| 2001 | 11,593,058 |
| 2002 | 11,880,440 |
| 2003 | 12,181,574 |
| 2004 | 12,500,737 |
| 2005 | 12,840,031 |
| 2006 | 13,198,701 |
| 2007 | 13,576,343 |
| 2008 | 13,976,417 |
| 2009 | 14,395,788 |
| 2010 | 14,826,463 |
| 2011 | 15,265,022 |
| 2012 | 15,709,577 |
| 2013 | 16,161,816 |
| 2014 | 16,621,538 |
| 2015 | 17,085,587 |
| 2016 | 17,557,739 |
| 2017 | 18,039,715 |
| 2018 | 18,528,081 |
| 2019 | 19,025,752 |
| 2020 | 19,533,888 |
| 2021 | 20,047,258 |
| 2022 | 20,568,728 |
| 2023 | 21,104,482 |
| 2024 | 21,655,286 |
Malawi's birth and fertility rates
| Year | Fertility rate |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.04 |
| 1961 | 7.07 |
| 1962 | 7.1 |
| 1963 | 7.13 |
| 1964 | 7.11 |
| 1965 | 7.13 |
| 1966 | 7.17 |
| 1967 | 7.21 |
| 1968 | 7.26 |
| 1969 | 7.27 |
| 1970 | 7.3 |
| 1971 | 7.31 |
| 1972 | 7.33 |
| 1973 | 7.34 |
| 1974 | 7.34 |
| 1975 | 7.36 |
| 1976 | 7.39 |
| 1977 | 7.41 |
| 1978 | 7.43 |
| 1979 | 7.47 |
| 1980 | 7.52 |
| 1981 | 7.49 |
| 1982 | 7.45 |
| 1983 | 7.36 |
| 1984 | 7.27 |
| 1985 | 7.17 |
| 1986 | 7.07 |
| 1987 | 6.97 |
| 1988 | 6.88 |
| 1989 | 6.8 |
| 1990 | 6.74 |
| 1991 | 6.68 |
| 1992 | 6.63 |
| 1993 | 6.57 |
| 1994 | 6.49 |
| 1995 | 6.39 |
| 1996 | 6.29 |
| 1997 | 6.23 |
| 1998 | 6.21 |
| 1999 | 6.12 |
| 2000 | 6 |
| 2001 | 5.94 |
| 2002 | 5.9 |
| 2003 | 5.88 |
| 2004 | 5.86 |
| 2005 | 5.85 |
| 2006 | 5.8 |
| 2007 | 5.72 |
| 2008 | 5.61 |
| 2009 | 5.45 |
| 2010 | 5.26 |
| 2011 | 5.08 |
| 2012 | 4.9 |
| 2013 | 4.76 |
| 2014 | 4.57 |
| 2015 | 4.38 |
| 2016 | 4.22 |
| 2017 | 4.11 |
| 2018 | 4.02 |
| 2019 | 3.95 |
| 2020 | 3.88 |
| 2021 | 3.79 |
| 2022 | 3.72 |
| 2023 | 3.65 |
| Year | Median age, years |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 18.2 |
| 1961 | 18.3 |
| 1962 | 18.3 |
| 1963 | 18.3 |
| 1964 | 18.3 |
| 1965 | 18.4 |
| 1966 | 18.3 |
| 1967 | 18.3 |
| 1968 | 18.3 |
| 1969 | 18.2 |
| 1970 | 18 |
| 1971 | 17.9 |
| 1972 | 17.8 |
| 1973 | 17.7 |
| 1974 | 17.6 |
| 1975 | 17.5 |
| 1976 | 17.5 |
| 1977 | 17.4 |
| 1978 | 17.4 |
| 1979 | 17.4 |
| 1980 | 17.3 |
| 1981 | 17.3 |
| 1982 | 17.3 |
| 1983 | 17.3 |
| 1984 | 17.3 |
| 1985 | 17.3 |
| 1986 | 17.3 |
| 1987 | 17.4 |
| 1988 | 17.5 |
| 1989 | 17.4 |
| 1990 | 17.3 |
| 1991 | 17.2 |
| 1992 | 17.1 |
| 1993 | 17 |
| 1994 | 16.9 |
| 1995 | 16.9 |
| 1996 | 16.8 |
| 1997 | 16.8 |
| 1998 | 16.8 |
| 1999 | 16.7 |
| 2000 | 16.8 |
| 2001 | 16.8 |
| 2002 | 16.8 |
| 2003 | 16.8 |
| 2004 | 16.8 |
| 2005 | 16.8 |
| 2006 | 16.8 |
| 2007 | 16.8 |
| 2008 | 16.8 |
| 2009 | 16.7 |
| 2010 | 16.7 |
| 2011 | 16.8 |
| 2012 | 16.8 |
| 2013 | 16.9 |
| 2014 | 17 |
| 2015 | 17.1 |
| 2016 | 17.2 |
| 2017 | 17.4 |
| 2018 | 17.6 |
| 2019 | 17.8 |
| 2020 | 18 |
| 2021 | 18.2 |
| 2022 | 18.4 |
| 2023 | 18.7 |
| 2024 | 18.9 |
Malawi vs. World: Interactive Maps
Use the buttons below to toggle between world maps that display different statistics comparing Malawi with other countries.
GDP per capita
GDP
Life expectancy
Population
Population density
Fertility rate
Median age
Land area
Malawi: National Statistics
Finance
|
Malawi
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| GNI, Atlas method |
$11.8B
2024 |
147/194 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
28%
2025 |
109/195 |
| Education expenditure, % of GDP |
2.75%
2022 |
153/193 |
| Military expenditure, % of GDP |
1.01%
2023 |
122/163 |
| Armed forces personnel |
15,000
2020 |
118/174 |
| Deficit/surplus, % of GDP |
-8.94%
2025 |
178/188 |
| Unemployment rate |
0.91%
2020 |
189/196 |
| Services, % of GDP |
44.9%
2024 |
160/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
16%
2024 |
157/194 |
| Economic freedom index |
50.9
2025 |
160/197 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
31%
2019 |
48/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2.9%
2019 |
74/169 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$594M
2020 |
154/177 |
| Personal remittances received |
$264M
2024 |
130/190 |
| International tourist arrivals |
871,000
2018 |
101/188 |
| International tourism as share of exports |
2.68%
2020 |
126/184 |
| Banked people share |
50.4%
2024 |
113/158 |
Energy
|
Malawi
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions |
6.45 megatons
2023 |
127/187 |
| CO2 emissions per capita |
0.31 tons
2023 |
160/187 |
| Renewable energy use share |
62.9%
2022 |
33/193 |
| Renewable electricity output share |
80.1%
2021 |
29/192 |
| Hydroelectric share |
72.5%
2021 |
21/192 |
| Nuclear share |
0%
2021 |
120/192 |
| Electricity access |
15.6%
2023 |
192/195 |
Society
|
Malawi
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| % of world population |
0.27%
2024 |
62/197 |
| Annual migration change |
-1,507
2024 |
98/196 |
| Urban population |
18.6%
2024 |
189/195 |
| Male:Female ratio |
50:50
2024 |
N/A |
| Average male height |
5.44 ft
2025 |
175/190 |
| Average female height |
5.12 ft
2025 |
165/190 |
| Quality of life index |
27.7
2025 |
163/197 |
| Corruption Perceptions Index |
34
2024 |
125/197 |
| Higher education index |
35
2025 |
121/183 |
| Homicides per 100K people |
1.79
2012 |
122/197 |
| Road traffic mortality per 100K people |
33.4
2019 |
13/197 |
| Visa free countries |
80
2025 |
122/195 |
| Adult literacy rate |
68.1%
2022 |
170/196 |
| English speaking |
3.88%
2023 |
156/197 |
| People using the Internet |
18%
2023 |
185/195 |
Health
|
Malawi
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Government health expenditure per capita |
$39.7
2022 |
175/191 |
| Out-of-pocket health expenditure per capita |
$4.8
2022 |
187/191 |
| Life expectancy |
67.7 years
2025 |
152/197 |
| Foreign aid share of health expenditure |
64.7%
2022 |
1/178 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people |
0.05
2022 |
187/193 |
| Age at first childbirth |
19.1 years
2025 |
133/137 |
| Maternal mortality per 100K births |
225
2023 |
36/193 |
| Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births |
38.3
2023 |
50/192 |
| Obesity rate |
7.87%
2022 |
170/189 |
| Diabetes prevalence |
5.7%
2024 |
157/195 |
| Air quality index |
34
2025 |
132/197 |
| Tobacco use prevalence |
9.7%
2022 |
134/164 |
| Pure alcohol consumption per capita |
3.61 liters
2020 |
109/186 |
Territory
|
Malawi
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| % of world land |
0.06%
2025 |
107/197 |
| Land area per capita |
1,681 sq mi
2024 |
148/197 |
| Agricultural land area |
23,359 sq mi
2025 |
82/194 |
| Forest area |
8,169 sq mi
2025 |
106/196 |
| Roads length |
9,601 mi
2015 |
106/175 |
Compare Malawi with other countries
Relevant pages:
Malawi topic pages:
Facts comparisons
