Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Malawi
Malawi: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita was 0.1759 people per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Malawi, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per person.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 0.1759 people per person for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and up 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Malawi peaked at 0.1759 people per person in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0404 people per person, in 1960.
Malawi ranks 212th of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Malawi, year by year
| Year | people per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.0404 people per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.0414 people per person | +2.3% |
| 1962 | 0.0424 people per person | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 0.0434 people per person | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 0.0445 people per person | +2.5% |
| 1965 | 0.0457 people per person | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 0.0469 people per person | +2.6% |
| 1967 | 0.0484 people per person | +3.4% |
| 1968 | 0.0508 people per person | +4.9% |
| 1969 | 0.0538 people per person | +5.9% |
| 1970 | 0.0573 people per person | +6.5% |
| 1971 | 0.0612 people per person | +6.8% |
| 1972 | 0.0653 people per person | +6.7% |
| 1973 | 0.0695 people per person | +6.4% |
| 1974 | 0.0736 people per person | +5.9% |
| 1975 | 0.0776 people per person | +5.3% |
| 1976 | 0.0811 people per person | +4.6% |
| 1977 | 0.0842 people per person | +3.8% |
| 1978 | 0.0868 people per person | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 0.0892 people per person | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 0.0913 people per person | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 0.0934 people per person | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 0.0954 people per person | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 0.0973 people per person | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 0.0993 people per person | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 0.1014 people per person | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 0.1037 people per person | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 0.1062 people per person | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 0.1091 people per person | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 0.1124 people per person | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 0.1162 people per person | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 0.1203 people per person | +3.5% |
| 1992 | 0.1245 people per person | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 0.1287 people per person | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 0.1327 people per person | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 0.1364 people per person | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 0.1396 people per person | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 0.1423 people per person | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 0.1442 people per person | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 0.1456 people per person | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 0.1468 people per person | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 0.1478 people per person | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 0.1487 people per person | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 0.1496 people per person | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 0.1503 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 0.151 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 0.1518 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 0.1525 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 0.1532 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 0.154 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 0.1548 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 0.1555 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 0.1563 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 0.157 people per person | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 0.1577 people per person | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 0.1583 people per person | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 0.159 people per person | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 0.1596 people per person | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 0.1602 people per person | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 0.1614 people per person | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 0.163 people per person | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 0.1649 people per person | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 0.1671 people per person | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 0.1697 people per person | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 0.1727 people per person | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 0.1759 people per person | +1.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 0.1759 people per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.3454 people per person, 51% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 0.1759 people per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.4552 people per person, 39% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0458 people per person | 0.0404 people per person | 0.0538 people per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0746 people per person | 0.0573 people per person | 0.0892 people per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.101 people per person | 0.0913 people per person | 0.1124 people per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.133 people per person | 0.1162 people per person | 0.1456 people per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1506 people per person | 0.1468 people per person | 0.154 people per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.158 people per person | 0.1548 people per person | 0.1614 people per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1689 people per person | 0.163 people per person | 0.1759 people per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 209 South Sudan 0.2168 people per person compare
- 210 Tonga 0.2116 people per person compare
- 211 Niger 0.1837 people per person compare
- 213 Samoa 0.1751 people per person compare
- 214 Papua New Guinea 0.1578 people per person compare
- 215 Liechtenstein 0.1431 people per person 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, per capita in Malawi?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Malawi was 0.1759 people per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1759 people per person in 2025.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0404 people per person in 1960.
- How does Malawi rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita?
- Malawi ranks 212th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Population, total
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
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
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
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.