Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Malawi
Malawi: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate was 4.53 % change on previous year in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
4.53 % change on previous year
Change on year
up 3.3%
World rank
11th
of 234 countries
All-time high
9.48 % change on previous year
in 1971
All-time low
1.92 % change on previous year
in 1994
Years of data
75
1951–2025
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Malawi, 1951–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 4.53 % change on previous year for number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in 2025.
That represents a change of up 3.3% on the previous year and up 40.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Malawi peaked at 9.48 % change on previous year in 1971 and was at its lowest, 1.92 % change on previous year, in 1994.
Malawi ranks 11th of 234 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 75 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 2.07 % change on previous year | — |
| 1952 | 2.48 % change on previous year | +19.5% |
| 1953 | 2.83 % change on previous year | +14.1% |
| 1954 | 3.13 % change on previous year | +10.6% |
| 1955 | 3.41 % change on previous year | +9.1% |
| 1956 | 3.7 % change on previous year | +8.6% |
| 1957 | 3.97 % change on previous year | +7.1% |
| 1958 | 4.21 % change on previous year | +6.1% |
| 1959 | 4.43 % change on previous year | +5.3% |
| 1960 | 4.62 % change on previous year | +4.3% |
| 1961 | 4.78 % change on previous year | +3.4% |
| 1962 | 4.91 % change on previous year | +2.7% |
| 1963 | 5.02 % change on previous year | +2.2% |
| 1964 | 5.09 % change on previous year | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 5.12 % change on previous year | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 5.14 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 5.97 % change on previous year | +16.3% |
| 1968 | 7.5 % change on previous year | +25.7% |
| 1969 | 8.57 % change on previous year | +14.2% |
| 1970 | 9.19 % change on previous year | +7.3% |
| 1971 | 9.48 % change on previous year | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 9.47 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 9.24 % change on previous year | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 8.85 % change on previous year | -4.2% |
| 1975 | 8.32 % change on previous year | -5.9% |
| 1976 | 7.7 % change on previous year | -7.4% |
| 1977 | 7.06 % change on previous year | -8.3% |
| 1978 | 6.68 % change on previous year | -5.4% |
| 1979 | 6.57 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 6.45 % change on previous year | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 6.33 % change on previous year | -1.9% |
| 1982 | 6.23 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 6.17 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 6.13 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 6.13 % change on previous year | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 6.08 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 7.4 % change on previous year | +21.8% |
| 1988 | 8.4 % change on previous year | +13.5% |
| 1989 | 8.1 % change on previous year | -3.6% |
| 1990 | 7.54 % change on previous year | -6.8% |
| 1991 | 6.73 % change on previous year | -10.8% |
| 1992 | 6.53 % change on previous year | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 4.86 % change on previous year | -25.6% |
| 1994 | 1.92 % change on previous year | -60.6% |
| 1995 | 2.64 % change on previous year | +37.8% |
| 1996 | 4.43 % change on previous year | +67.8% |
| 1997 | 3.98 % change on previous year | -10.1% |
| 1998 | 3.58 % change on previous year | -10.2% |
| 1999 | 3.33 % change on previous year | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 3.25 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 2001 | 3.17 % change on previous year | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 3.12 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 3.11 % change on previous year | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 3.14 % change on previous year | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 3.21 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 3.28 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 3.35 % change on previous year | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 3.46 % change on previous year | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 3.52 % change on previous year | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 3.5 % change on previous year | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 3.45 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 3.4 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 3.35 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 3.3 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 3.23 % change on previous year | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 3.19 % change on previous year | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 3.16 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 3.08 % change on previous year | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 3.43 % change on previous year | +11.2% |
| 2020 | 3.67 % change on previous year | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 3.84 % change on previous year | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 4.01 % change on previous year | +4.5% |
| 2023 | 4.2 % change on previous year | +4.8% |
| 2024 | 4.38 % change on previous year | +4.3% |
| 2025 | 4.53 % change on previous year | +3.3% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 4.53 % change on previous year is above the median for low income countries, which is 4.1 % change on previous year, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 4.53 % change on previous year is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.42 % change on previous year, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +67.8% | 2.64 % change on previous year | 4.43 % change on previous year |
| 1994 | -60.6% | 4.86 % change on previous year | 1.92 % change on previous year |
| 1995 | +37.8% | 1.92 % change on previous year | 2.64 % change on previous year |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.36 % change on previous year | 2.07 % change on previous year | 4.43 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1960s | 5.67 % change on previous year | 4.62 % change on previous year | 8.57 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.26 % change on previous year | 6.57 % change on previous year | 9.48 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.74 % change on previous year | 6.08 % change on previous year | 8.4 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.55 % change on previous year | 1.92 % change on previous year | 7.54 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.26 % change on previous year | 3.11 % change on previous year | 3.52 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.31 % change on previous year | 3.08 % change on previous year | 3.5 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.11 % change on previous year | 3.67 % change on previous year | 4.53 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 8 Mali 4.91 % change on previous year compare
- 9 Ethiopia 4.7 % change on previous year compare
- 10 Solomon Islands 4.54 % change on previous year compare
- 12 Central African Republic 4.43 % change on previous year compare
- 13 Somalia 4.38 % change on previous year compare
- 14 Burkina Faso 4.35 % change on previous year 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 number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Malawi?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate in Malawi was 4.53 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 9.48 % change on previous year in 1971.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.92 % change on previous year in 1994.
- How does Malawi rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate?
- Malawi ranks 11th out of 234 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Number of people living in urban and rural areas. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Number of people living in urban and rural areas. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.