Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Malawi
Malawi: Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) was 2.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Population growth in Malawi, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2024, population growth in Malawi stood at 2.6%.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Malawi peaked at 5.4% in 1988 and was at its lowest, -1.2%, in 1994.
Malawi ranks 27th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.5% | — |
| 1971 | 2.5% | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 2.6% | +2.1% |
| 1973 | 2.6% | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 2.7% | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 2.8% | +3.4% |
| 1976 | 2.9% | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 3.1% | +6.7% |
| 1978 | 3.4% | +10.1% |
| 1979 | 3.7% | +8.1% |
| 1980 | 3.9% | +4.3% |
| 1981 | 3.9% | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 3.9% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 3.9% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 3.9% | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 3.8% | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 3.7% | -4.3% |
| 1987 | 4.8% | +29.6% |
| 1988 | 5.4% | +13.1% |
| 1989 | 4.7% | -12.6% |
| 1990 | 3.9% | -16.3% |
| 1991 | 3.1% | -22.1% |
| 1992 | 2.9% | -5.4% |
| 1993 | 1.5% | -49.9% |
| 1994 | -1.2% | -179.9% |
| 1995 | -0.1% | -87.5% |
| 1996 | 2.0% | -1455.3% |
| 1997 | 2.0% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 2.2% | +7.8% |
| 1999 | 2.3% | +8.0% |
| 2000 | 2.4% | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 2.4% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 2.4% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 2.6% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 2.8% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 2.8% | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 2.9% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 3.0% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 2.9% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 2.9% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 2.9% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 2.8% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 2.8% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 2.7% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 2.6% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 2.6% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 2.6% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 2.6% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 2.6% | +0.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 2.6% is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.6%, 100% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 2.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) 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 | +1455.3% | -0.1% | 2.0% |
| 1994 | -179.9% | 1.5% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | +87.5% | -1.2% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | -49.9% | 2.9% | 1.5% |
| 1987 | +29.6% | 3.7% | 4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.9% | 2.5% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.2% | 3.7% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.9% | -1.2% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 2.4% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 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 population growth in Malawi?
- Population growth in Malawi was 2.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 1988.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.2% in 1994.
- How does Malawi rank for population growth?
- Malawi ranks 27th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release