Population growth rates in Malawi
Malawi: Population growth rates was 2.57 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2.57
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
26th
of 236 countries
All-time high
5.94
in 1987
All-time low
-2.26
in 1994
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Population growth rates in Malawi, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, population growth rates in Malawi stood at 2.57.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rates in Malawi peaked at 5.94 in 1987 and was at its lowest, -2.26, in 1994.
That places Malawi 26th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Population growth rates in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.71 | — |
| 1951 | 1.82 | +6.4% |
| 1952 | 1.91 | +4.7% |
| 1953 | 1.97 | +3.3% |
| 1954 | 1.99 | +0.9% |
| 1955 | 2.06 | +3.7% |
| 1956 | 2.13 | +3.5% |
| 1957 | 2.19 | +2.8% |
| 1958 | 2.26 | +3.1% |
| 1959 | 2.32 | +2.7% |
| 1960 | 2.36 | +1.9% |
| 1961 | 2.4 | +1.5% |
| 1962 | 2.43 | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 2.46 | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 2.44 | -0.7% |
| 1965 | 2.44 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | 2.47 | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 2.48 | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 2.48 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 2.45 | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 2.48 | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 2.53 | +2.3% |
| 1972 | 2.58 | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 2.66 | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 2.75 | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 2.85 | +3.3% |
| 1976 | 2.97 | +4.4% |
| 1977 | 3.23 | +8.9% |
| 1978 | 3.59 | +11.1% |
| 1979 | 3.79 | +5.5% |
| 1980 | 3.91 | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 3.94 | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 3.96 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 3.94 | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 3.88 | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 3.82 | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 3.56 | -6.8% |
| 1987 | 5.94 | +67.0% |
| 1988 | 4.89 | -17.6% |
| 1989 | 4.56 | -6.8% |
| 1990 | 3.37 | -26.1% |
| 1991 | 2.8 | -16.8% |
| 1992 | 3.02 | +8.0% |
| 1993 | -0.081 | -102.7% |
| 1994 | -2.26 | +2692.6% |
| 1995 | 1.97 | -187.3% |
| 1996 | 1.97 | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 2.04 | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 2.28 | +11.6% |
| 1999 | 2.39 | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 2.41 | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 2.43 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 2.46 | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 2.54 | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 2.63 | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 2.72 | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 2.79 | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 2.85 | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 2.95 | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 2.96 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 2.94 | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 2.9 | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 2.85 | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 2.83 | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 2.78 | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 2.73 | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 2.72 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 2.69 | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 2.65 | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 2.65 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 2.62 | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 2.57 | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 2.57 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 2.57 | +0.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 2.57 is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.71, 95% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 2.57 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.35, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rates 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | -2692.6% | -0.081 | -2.26 |
| 1995 | +187.3% | -2.26 | 1.97 |
| 1993 | -102.7% | 3.02 | -0.081 |
| 1987 | +67.0% | 3.56 | 5.94 |
| 1990 | -26.1% | 4.56 | 3.37 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.04 | 1.71 | 2.32 | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.44 | 2.36 | 2.48 | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.94 | 2.48 | 3.79 | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.24 | 3.56 | 5.94 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.75 | -2.26 | 3.37 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.68 | 2.41 | 2.96 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.77 | 2.65 | 2.94 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.58 | 2.57 | 2.62 | 4 |
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 rates in Malawi?
- Population growth rates in Malawi was 2.57 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rates recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 5.94 in 1987.
- What is the lowest population growth rates recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.26 in 1994.
- How does Malawi rank for population growth rates?
- Malawi ranks 26th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rates rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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