Malawi Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Malawi is 23,086,106 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 22,216,120 in 2025.

Malawi is projected to reach 59.8M people in 2100.
Malawi accounts for 0.28% of the world's population.
Since 2006, population has increased from 13.2M people to 23.1M (74.9% growth in 20 years).
For the last 20 years, Malawi has had an average growth rate of 3.75% per year.
Malawi is ranked 61/197 by population and was ranked 69th in 2006.

Malawi population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	59,773,923	0.43%
2099	59,515,624	0.43%
2098	59,263,165	0.42%
2097	59,015,654	0.45%
2096	58,749,288	0.43%
2095	58,495,699	0.46%
2094	58,227,933	0.47%
2093	57,954,358	0.51%
2092	57,660,371	0.52%
2091	57,364,786	0.55%
2090	57,048,240	0.57%
2089	56,727,243	0.61%
2088	56,385,237	0.61%
2087	56,041,651	0.62%
2086	55,694,983	0.65%
2085	55,336,839	0.64%
2084	54,985,304	0.72%
2083	54,593,349	0.74%
2082	54,194,853	0.76%
2081	53,783,781	0.79%
2080	53,361,334	0.8%
2079	52,936,889	0.81%
2078	52,510,645	0.88%
2077	52,052,767	0.9%
2076	51,589,339	0.9%
2075	51,130,762	0.9%
2074	50,673,499	0.91%
2073	50,218,991	0.92%
2072	49,759,232	0.98%
2071	49,276,570	1%
2070	48,787,471	1.03%
2069	48,291,287	1.07%
2068	47,782,059	1.09%
2067	47,267,335	1.12%
2066	46,741,998	1.13%
2065	46,218,226	1.15%
2064	45,692,044	1.16%
2063	45,169,634	1.21%
2062	44,629,192	1.28%
2061	44,067,259	1.31%
2060	43,499,372	1.38%
2059	42,907,491	1.35%
2058	42,335,782	1.4%
2057	41,753,105	1.4%
2056	41,175,330	1.48%
2055	40,576,247	1.48%
2054	39,986,120	1.57%
2053	39,369,178	1.58%
2052	38,758,577	1.61%
2051	38,145,141	1.62%
2050	37,537,814	1.65%
2049	36,928,354	1.64%
2048	36,332,040	1.72%
2047	35,717,466	1.76%
2046	35,099,651	1.78%
2045	34,484,520	1.86%
2044	33,855,018	1.85%
2043	33,240,675	1.87%
2042	32,629,513	1.93%
2041	32,012,581	1.97%
2040	31,395,572	2.01%
2039	30,775,878	2.04%
2038	30,160,239	2.16%
2037	29,521,489	2.18%
2036	28,890,318	2.22%
2035	28,261,909	2.26%
2034	27,637,439	2.31%
2033	27,012,311	2.33%
2032	26,398,409	2.36%
2031	25,790,366	2.44%
2030	25,176,420	2.5%
2029	24,561,210	2.5%
2028	23,962,931	2.54%
2027	23,369,575	2.56%
2026	22,786,713	2.57%
2025	22,216,120	2.59%
2024	21,655,286	2.61%
2023	21,104,482	2.6%
2022	20,568,728	2.6%
2021	20,047,258	2.63%
2020	19,533,888	2.67%
2019	19,025,752	2.69%
2018	18,528,081	2.71%
2017	18,039,715	2.75%
2016	17,557,739	2.76%
2015	17,085,587	2.79%
2014	16,621,538	2.84%
2013	16,161,816	2.88%
2012	15,709,577	2.91%
2011	15,265,022	2.96%
2010	14,826,463	2.99%
2009	14,395,788	3%
2008	13,976,417	2.95%
2007	13,576,343	2.86%
2006	13,198,701	2.79%
2005	12,840,031	2.71%
2004	12,500,737	2.62%
2003	12,181,574	2.53%
2002	11,880,440	2.48%
2001	11,593,058	2.45%
2000	11,315,942	2.43%
1999	11,047,804	2.36%
1998	10,792,876	2.19%
1997	10,562,035	2.03%
1996	10,352,228	1.99%
1995	10,150,117	-0.15%
1994	10,164,894	-1.16%
1993	10,284,024	1.47%
1992	10,135,079	2.95%
1991	9,844,227	3.13%
1990	9,545,852	4.03%
1989	9,176,220	4.83%
1988	8,753,262	5.55%
1987	8,293,174	4.89%
1986	7,906,480	3.75%
1985	7,620,508	3.92%
1984	7,332,810	3.99%
1983	7,051,709	4.02%
1982	6,778,879	4.03%
1981	6,516,454	4%
1980	6,265,529	3.93%
1979	6,028,749	3.76%
1978	5,810,132	3.48%
1977	5,614,983	3.15%
1976	5,443,384	2.95%
1975	5,287,367	2.84%
1974	5,141,337	2.75%
1973	5,003,938	2.66%
1972	4,874,475	2.59%
1971	4,751,434	2.54%
1970	4,633,944	2.49%
1969	4,521,184	2.5%
1968	4,411,054	2.51%
1967	4,303,012	2.5%
1966	4,197,926	2.48%
1965	4,096,157	2.47%
1964	3,997,305	2.48%
1963	3,900,506	2.47%
1962	3,806,307	2.44%
1961	3,715,534	2.41%
1960	3,628,134	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026–2100, retrieved 2026-07-08); World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08).

GeoRank.org/population/malawi | CC BY

Malawi has a population of 23.1M as of 2026, compared to 17.6M in 2016, 13.2M in 2006, and 10.4M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 3.15% per year. Malawi is ranked 24th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Malawi will have 35,099,651 people (52% growth) with a rank change from 61st to 56th.

By the year 2100, Malawi's population is projected to grow by 158.9% from its current level to 59.8M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-5,628
2024	558,304	559,811	-1,507
2023	543,285	549,096	-5,811
2022	528,219	533,450	-5,231
2021	514,734	517,400	-2,666
2020	512,004	514,659	-2,655
2019	504,267	506,104	-1,837
2018	491,081	494,348	-3,267
2017	485,637	484,655	982
2016	478,284	474,779	3,505
2015	466,013	472,484	-6,471
2014	462,101	472,418	-10,317
2013	457,359	470,293	-12,934
2012	447,123	460,684	-13,561
2011	441,979	454,149	-12,170
2010	435,141	444,468	-9,327
2009	426,221	434,811	-8,590
2008	412,517	421,781	-9,264
2007	387,610	410,290	-22,680
2006	367,673	397,123	-29,450
2005	349,668	381,130	-31,462
2004	328,912	361,133	-32,221
2003	309,404	341,133	-31,729
2002	292,850	322,863	-30,013
2001	281,900	310,833	-28,933
2000	272,341	300,439	-28,098
1999	263,943	295,629	-31,686
1998	245,916	285,407	-39,491
1997	215,787	277,433	-61,646
1996	203,836	270,048	-66,212
1995	200,379	266,745	-66,366
1994	-229,926	275,439	-505,365
1993	-8,329	276,538	-284,867
1992	306,208	269,066	37,142
1991	275,484	260,193	15,291
1990	321,270	250,159	71,111
1989	417,998	237,967	180,031
1988	427,922	226,911	201,011
1987	492,259	220,566	271,693
1986	281,134	218,519	62,615
1985	290,804	216,179	74,625
1984	284,581	212,146	72,435
1983	277,619	209,422	68,197
1982	268,047	205,386	62,661
1981	256,812	199,436	57,376
1980	245,040	192,746	52,294
1979	228,511	182,123	46,388
1978	208,728	172,503	36,225
1977	181,568	161,930	19,638
1976	161,628	153,422	8,206
1975	150,416	145,254	5,162
1974	141,652	137,819	3,833
1973	133,152	131,529	1,623
1972	125,776	125,728	48
1971	120,305	121,015	-710
1970	114,675	116,822	-2,147
1969	110,854	113,120	-2,266
1968	109,405	110,329	-924
1967	106,668	106,668	0
1966	103,512	103,512	0
1965	100,040	100,040	0
1964	97,658	97,658	0
1963	95,933	95,933	0
1962	92,463	92,463	0
1961	89,091	89,091	0
1960	85,718	85,718	0

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08).

GeoRank.org/population/malawi | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 99.5% of the population change in Malawi is from natural causes (a gain of 5,106,786 people) and 0.49% is from migration (a loss of 24,958 people).

As of 2024, 186,719 residents or 0.9% of the population were not native-born in Malawi, compared to 217,722 and 1.5% in 2010.

Malawi population clock

	Malawi	Rank
Current population	23086106	61/197
Percent of world population	0.28%	61/197
One net population change	56.4 seconds	39/197
One birth every	46.8 seconds	45/196
One death every	4.59 minutes	75/196
Daily growth/decline	+1,537	39/197
Annual growth/decline	+560,834	39/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.59%	23/197
One migration net change every	1.56 hours	118/196
Annual migration change	-5,628	118/196
Foreign-born residents	186,719	117/195
Foreign-born share of population	0.9%	158/195

Largest cities by population

Malawi
City	Population
Lilongwe	989K
Mzimba	936K
Blantyre	800K
Mzuzu	150K
Zomba	101K
Mangochi	53.5K

Malawi population statistics

	Malawi	World
Life expectancy	67.9 years	73.8 years
Average age	23 years	34 years
Median age	19.2 years	31.8 years
Male:Female ratio	48.8:51.2	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	3.59 births per woman	2.19 births per woman
Population density	626 ppl/mi²	144.1 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Malawi.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-07-08); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-07-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-07-08).

GeoRank.org/population/malawi | CC BY