Birth rate in Malawi
Malawi: Birth rate was 31.38 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
31.38 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
27th
of 236 countries
All-time high
54.38 births per 1,000 people
in 1963
All-time low
31.38 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Birth rate in Malawi, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for birth rate in Malawi is 31.38 births per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 16.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Malawi peaked at 54.38 births per 1,000 people in 1963 and was at its lowest, 31.38 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
Malawi ranks 27th 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.
Birth rate in Malawi, year by year
| Year | births per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49.47 births per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 49.99 births per 1,000 people | +1.0% |
| 1952 | 50.45 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1953 | 50.85 births per 1,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1954 | 50.81 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1955 | 51.38 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1956 | 51.94 births per 1,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1957 | 52.42 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1958 | 52.91 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 53.38 births per 1,000 people | +0.9% |
| 1960 | 53.73 births per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1961 | 53.97 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 54.18 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 54.38 births per 1,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 54.19 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1965 | 54.11 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 54.26 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 54.28 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 54.36 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 54.14 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 53.96 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 53.7 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 53.46 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 53.2 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 52.89 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 52.72 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 52.57 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 52.37 births per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 52.36 births per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 52.44 births per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 52.7 births per 1,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 52.38 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 52.03 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 51.39 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 50.76 births per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 50.36 births per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 49.79 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 48.61 births per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 48.75 births per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 48.45 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 48.44 births per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 48.39 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 48.06 births per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 48.41 births per 1,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 48.41 births per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 46.84 births per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1996 | 46.21 births per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 46 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 45.86 births per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 45.42 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 44.57 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 44.18 births per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 43.95 births per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 43.91 births per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 43.97 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 44 births per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 43.76 births per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 43.27 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 42.56 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 41.74 births per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 40.69 births per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 39.69 births per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 38.56 births per 1,000 people | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 37.72 births per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 36.5 births per 1,000 people | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 35.3 births per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 34.23 births per 1,000 people | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 33.68 births per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 33.23 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 32.9 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 32.54 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 32.07 births per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 31.74 births per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 31.38 births per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 31.38 births per 1,000 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 32.09 births per 1,000 people, 98% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 31.38 births per 1,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 31.17 births per 1,000 people, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 51.36 births per 1,000 people | 49.47 births per 1,000 people | 53.38 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 54.16 births per 1,000 people | 53.73 births per 1,000 people | 54.38 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 52.97 births per 1,000 people | 52.36 births per 1,000 people | 53.96 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.52 births per 1,000 people | 48.45 births per 1,000 people | 52.7 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 47.2 births per 1,000 people | 45.42 births per 1,000 people | 48.44 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.59 births per 1,000 people | 41.74 births per 1,000 people | 44.57 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.25 births per 1,000 people | 32.9 births per 1,000 people | 40.69 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.93 births per 1,000 people | 31.38 births per 1,000 people | 32.54 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 24 Cote d'Ivoire 31.99 births per 1,000 people compare
- 25 Ethiopia 31.9 births per 1,000 people compare
- 26 Burkina Faso 31.64 births per 1,000 people compare
- 28 Liberia 30.96 births per 1,000 people compare
- 29 Congo 30.63 births per 1,000 people compare
- 30 Sierra Leone 30.6 births per 1,000 people compare
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 birth rate in Malawi?
- Birth rate in Malawi was 31.38 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 54.38 births per 1,000 people in 1963.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.38 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Malawi rank for birth rate?
- Malawi ranks 27th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.