Fertility and wanted fertility in Malawi
Malawi: Fertility and wanted fertility was 3.59 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
3.59
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
41st
of 215 countries
All-time high
7.52
in 1980
All-time low
3.59
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility and wanted fertility in Malawi, 1960–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, fertility and wanted fertility in Malawi stood at 3.59. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 21.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility and wanted fertility in Malawi peaked at 7.52 in 1980 and was at its lowest, 3.59, in 2024.
That places Malawi 41st out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility and wanted fertility in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.04 | — |
| 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% |
| 2024 | 3.59 | -1.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 3.59 is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.11, 87% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 3.59 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.91, 92% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3.73 | 3.59 | 3.88 | 5 |
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)
- Population growth rate 0.423 (2100)
- Population density 627.29 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 3.85 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility and wanted fertility in Malawi?
- Fertility and wanted fertility in Malawi was 3.59 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility and wanted fertility recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 7.52 in 1980.
- What is the lowest fertility and wanted fertility recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.59 in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for fertility and wanted fertility?
- Malawi ranks 41st out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility and wanted fertility rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.4%. 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 Fertility and wanted fertility. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).