Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Malawi
Malawi: Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children was 3.65 live births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
3.65 live births per woman
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
40th
of 236 countries
All-time high
7.52 live births per woman
in 1980
All-time low
3.65 live births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Malawi, 1950–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Malawi stood at 3.65 live births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 23.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Malawi peaked at 7.52 live births per woman in 1980 and was at its lowest, 3.65 live births per woman, 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.
Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Malawi, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6.82 live births per woman | — |
| 1951 | 6.84 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1952 | 6.84 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1953 | 6.85 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1954 | 6.8 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1955 | 6.84 live births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1956 | 6.89 live births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1957 | 6.92 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1958 | 6.96 live births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1959 | 7.01 live births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1960 | 7.04 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1961 | 7.07 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 7.09 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 7.13 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 7.11 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 7.13 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 7.17 live births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 7.21 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 7.26 live births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 7.27 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 7.29 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 7.31 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 7.33 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 7.34 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 7.34 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 7.36 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 7.39 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 7.41 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 7.43 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 7.46 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 7.52 live births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 7.49 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 7.45 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 7.36 live births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 7.26 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 7.17 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 7.07 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 6.97 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 6.88 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1989 | 6.8 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 6.74 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 6.68 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 6.63 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 6.57 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 6.49 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 6.39 live births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 6.29 live births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 6.23 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 6.21 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 6.12 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 6 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 5.94 live births per woman | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 5.9 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 5.88 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 5.86 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 5.85 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 5.8 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 5.72 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 5.61 live births per woman | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 5.45 live births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 5.26 live births per woman | -3.5% |
| 2011 | 5.08 live births per woman | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 4.9 live births per woman | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 4.76 live births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 4.57 live births per woman | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 4.38 live births per woman | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 4.22 live births per woman | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 4.11 live births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 4.02 live births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 3.95 live births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 3.88 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 3.79 live births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 3.72 live births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 3.65 live births per woman | -1.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 3.65 live births per woman is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.19 live births per woman, 87% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 3.65 live births per woman is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4 live births per woman, 91% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.88 live births per woman | 6.8 live births per woman | 7.01 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 7.15 live births per woman | 7.04 live births per woman | 7.27 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.37 live births per woman | 7.29 live births per woman | 7.46 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.2 live births per woman | 6.8 live births per woman | 7.52 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.43 live births per woman | 6.12 live births per woman | 6.74 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.8 live births per woman | 5.45 live births per woman | 6 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.53 live births per woman | 3.95 live births per woman | 5.26 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.76 live births per woman | 3.65 live births per woman | 3.88 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More population data for Malawi
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.4293 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.1183 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.4293 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.3622 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 37,159 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.45 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2289 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Population density 627.29 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.85 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Malawi?
- Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children in Malawi was 3.65 live births per woman in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 7.52 live births per woman in 1980.
- What is the lowest comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.65 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does Malawi rank for comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children?
- Malawi ranks 40th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children 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 Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average number of live births a hypothetical cohort of women would have at the end of their reproductive period if they were subject during their whole lives to the fertility rates of a given period and if they were not subject to mortality.