Malawi vs Zambia: Total population
Malawi
21,934 thousands
in 2025
Zambia
21,612 thousands
in 2025
Malawi rank
60th
Zambia rank
61st
Total population over time
- Malawi
- Zambia
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 21,934 thousands against 21,612 thousands in Zambia, a difference of 322 thousands.
Across all 56 years both countries report, Malawi has been ahead every year.
Malawi ranks 60th and Zambia ranks 61st of 230 countries.
Malawi has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5,181 thousands | 4,869 thousands | 312.06 thousands | Malawi |
| 1980s | 7,407 thousands | 6,588 thousands | 819.42 thousands | Malawi |
| 1990s | 10,198 thousands | 8,605 thousands | 1,593 thousands | Malawi |
| 2000s | 12,574 thousands | 11,431 thousands | 1,144 thousands | Malawi |
| 2010s | 16,649 thousands | 15,932 thousands | 716.18 thousands | Malawi |
| 2020s | 20,586 thousands | 20,176 thousands | 410.18 thousands | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, Malawi or Zambia?
- Malawi, at 21,934 thousands against 21,612 thousands in Zambia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between Malawi and Zambia?
- 322 thousands, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Zambia?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Malawi and Zambia rank globally for total population?
- Malawi ranks 60th and Zambia ranks 61st of 230 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total population (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release