Malawi vs Zambia: Population
Malawi
21.10 million people
in 2023
Zambia
20.72 million people
in 2023
Malawi rank
62nd
Zambia rank
63rd
Population over time
- Malawi
- Zambia
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 21.10 million people against 20.72 million people in Zambia, a difference of 380,500 people.
Across all 74 years both countries report, Malawi has been ahead every year.
Malawi ranks 62nd and Zambia ranks 63rd of 236 countries.
Malawi has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.23 million people | 2.67 million people | 553,737 people | Malawi |
| 1960s | 4.06 million people | 3.65 million people | 406,516 people | Malawi |
| 1970s | 5.26 million people | 4.94 million people | 317,725 people | Malawi |
| 1980s | 7.57 million people | 6.69 million people | 882,932 people | Malawi |
| 1990s | 10.29 million people | 8.71 million people | 1.57 million people | Malawi |
| 2000s | 12.75 million people | 11.62 million people | 1.12 million people | Malawi |
| 2010s | 16.88 million people | 16.19 million people | 696,770 people | Malawi |
| 2020s | 20.31 million people | 19.88 million people | 428,625 people | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population, Malawi or Zambia?
- Malawi, at 21.10 million people against 20.72 million people in Zambia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in population between Malawi and Zambia?
- 380,500 people, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Zambia?
- 74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
- How do Malawi and Zambia rank globally for population?
- Malawi ranks 62nd and Zambia ranks 63rd of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.