Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Malawi

Malawi: Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity was 3.65 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
3.65
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
40th
of 236 countries
All-time high
7.52
in 1980
All-time low
3.65
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Malawi, 1950–2023

02468195019862023

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Malawi is 3.65, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.9% on the previous year and down 23.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Malawi peaked at 7.52 in 1980 and was at its lowest, 3.65, in 2023.

Malawi ranks 40th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Malawi, 1950 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1950 6.82 —
1951 6.84 +0.2%
1952 6.84 +0.1%
1953 6.85 +0.1%
1954 6.8 -0.7%
1955 6.84 +0.6%
1956 6.89 +0.6%
1957 6.92 +0.5%
1958 6.96 +0.6%
1959 7.01 +0.6%
1960 7.04 +0.5%
1961 7.07 +0.4%
1962 7.09 +0.4%
1963 7.13 +0.5%
1964 7.11 -0.2%
1965 7.13 +0.2%
1966 7.17 +0.7%
1967 7.21 +0.5%
1968 7.26 +0.7%
1969 7.27 +0.2%
1970 7.29 +0.3%
1971 7.31 +0.2%
1972 7.33 +0.2%
1973 7.34 +0.2%
1974 7.34 +0.1%
1975 7.36 +0.2%
1976 7.39 +0.4%
1977 7.41 +0.3%
1978 7.43 +0.4%
1979 7.46 +0.4%
1980 7.52 +0.7%
1981 7.49 -0.3%
1982 7.45 -0.6%
1983 7.36 -1.2%
1984 7.26 -1.3%
1985 7.17 -1.3%
1986 7.07 -1.4%
1987 6.97 -1.4%
1988 6.88 -1.3%
1989 6.8 -1.1%
1990 6.74 -0.9%
1991 6.68 -0.9%
1992 6.63 -0.8%
1993 6.57 -0.9%
1994 6.49 -1.3%
1995 6.39 -1.5%
1996 6.29 -1.7%
1997 6.23 -0.9%
1998 6.21 -0.4%
1999 6.12 -1.3%
2000 6 -2.0%
2001 5.94 -1.0%
2002 5.9 -0.7%
2003 5.88 -0.5%
2004 5.86 -0.2%
2005 5.85 -0.3%
2006 5.8 -0.8%
2007 5.72 -1.3%
2008 5.61 -2.0%
2009 5.45 -2.8%
2010 5.26 -3.5%
2011 5.08 -3.4%
2012 4.9 -3.6%
2013 4.76 -2.9%
2014 4.57 -4.0%
2015 4.38 -4.0%
2016 4.22 -3.8%
2017 4.11 -2.4%
2018 4.02 -2.2%
2019 3.95 -1.7%
2020 3.88 -1.9%
2021 3.79 -2.2%
2022 3.72 -1.9%
2023 3.65 -1.9%

Malawi compared with similar countries

  • Malawi's 3.65 is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.19, 87% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Malawi's 3.65 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4, 91% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 6.88 6.8 7.01 10
1960s 7.15 7.04 7.27 10
1970s 7.37 7.29 7.46 10
1980s 7.2 6.8 7.52 10
1990s 6.43 6.12 6.74 10
2000s 5.8 5.45 6 10
2010s 4.53 3.95 5.26 10
2020s 3.76 3.65 3.88 4

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 37 Zimbabwe 3.72 compare
  2. 38 Eritrea 3.71 compare
  3. 39 Rwanda 3.7 compare
  4. 41 Gabon 3.65 compare
  5. 42 Sao Tome and Principe 3.64 compare
  6. 43 Pakistan 3.6 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Malawi?
Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Malawi was 3.65 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 7.52 in 1980.
What is the lowest children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 3.65 in 2023.
How does Malawi rank for children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity?
Malawi ranks 40th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/children-per-woman-fertility-rate-vs-level-of-prosperity/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Children per woman fertility rate vs level of prosperity
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed