Malawi vs Zambia: Population by income level
Malawi
22.22 million
in 2025
Zambia
21.91 million
in 2025
Malawi rank
60th
Zambia rank
61st
Population by income level over time
- Malawi
- Zambia
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 22.22 million against 21.91 million in Zambia, a difference of 302,200.
Across all 66 years both countries report, Malawi has been ahead every year.
Malawi ranks 60th and Zambia ranks 61st of 215 countries.
Malawi has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.06 million | 3.65 million | 406,512 | Malawi |
| 1970s | 5.26 million | 4.94 million | 317,724 | Malawi |
| 1980s | 7.57 million | 6.69 million | 882,937 | Malawi |
| 1990s | 10.29 million | 8.71 million | 1.57 million | Malawi |
| 2000s | 12.75 million | 11.62 million | 1.12 million | Malawi |
| 2010s | 16.88 million | 16.19 million | 696,780 | Malawi |
| 2020s | 20.85 million | 20.46 million | 392,833 | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population by income level, Malawi or Zambia?
- Malawi, at 22.22 million against 21.91 million in Zambia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population by income level between Malawi and Zambia?
- 302,200, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Zambia?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Malawi and Zambia rank globally for population by income level?
- Malawi ranks 60th and Zambia ranks 61st of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Population by income level. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total population, differentiated by World Bank income level.