Country profile
Malawi
Malawi ranks #61 of 215 for population, #206 of 209 for gdp per capita, #170 of 216 for life expectancy, across 25 open-data indicators.
People
Population
22M
people · 2024
Rank #61 of 215
Life expectancy
67.6
years · 2024
Rank #170 of 216
Poverty headcount
75.4%
% of population · 2019
Rank #4 of 186
Under-5 mortality
48.8
per 1,000 live births · 2024
Rank #43 of 244
Secondary school enrollment
34.2%
% net enrollment · 2018
Rank #205 of 232
Tobacco use
9.7%
% of adults · 2022
Rank #133 of 163
Calorie supply
2,618
kcal per person per day · 2023
Rank #145 of 189
Prosperity
Tourism arrivals
871,000
arrivals · 2018
Rank #107 of 203
GDP per capita
$523
current US$ · 2024
Rank #206 of 209
Inflation, consumer prices
32.2
annual % growth · 2024
Rank #11 of 195
Planet
Consumer Price Indices
543
index (2015=100) · 2025
Rank #16 of 210
Forest area
22.4%
% of land area · 2023
Rank #168 of 262
PM2.5 air pollution
23.7
micrograms per cubic meter · 2020
Rank #115 of 248
Protected areas
23.1%
% of territorial area · 2025
Rank #52 of 261
CO2 emissions per capita
0.09
tonnes per person · 2024
Rank #206 of 210
Fertilizer use
83.2
kg per hectare · 2023
Rank #79 of 194
Pesticide use
0.48
kg per hectare · 2023
Rank #155 of 193
Cereal yield
1.88
tonnes per hectare · 2024
Rank #128 of 182
Digital
Internet users
19%
% of population · 2024
Rank #195 of 213
Fixed broadband subscriptions
0.09
per 100 people · 2024
Rank #244 of 256
Mobile cellular subscriptions
69.3
per 100 people · 2024
Rank #232 of 262
Energy
Access to electricity
15.6%
% of population · 2023
Rank #212 of 215
Renewable electricity output
80.1%
% of electricity output · 2021
Rank #31 of 257
Energy use per person
525
kWh per person · 2023
Rank #202 of 210
Society
Electoral democracy index
0.56
index (0-1) · 2025
Rank #76 of 174
Countries ranked nearby
Sources and methodology
Each value is the latest available observation for Malawi; years differ by indicator. Ranks compare countries and territories with data, so totals vary. Read about our methods.
- World Bank Open Data: Tourism arrivals
- World Bank Open Data: Population
- World Bank Open Data: GDP per capita
- World Bank Open Data: Access to electricity
- World Bank Open Data: Internet users
- World Bank Open Data: Life expectancy
- World Bank Data360 / FAOSTAT: Consumer Price Indices
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Forest area
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: PM2.5 air pollution
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Renewable electricity output
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Protected areas
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Fixed broadband subscriptions
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Mobile cellular subscriptions
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Inflation, consumer prices
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Poverty headcount
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Under-5 mortality
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Secondary school enrollment
- Our World in Data: CO2 emissions per capita
- Our World in Data: Energy use per person
- Our World in Data: Electoral democracy index
- Our World in Data: Tobacco use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Fertilizer use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Pesticide use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Calorie supply
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Cereal yield