Rural population in Malawi
Malawi: Rural population was 81.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Malawi, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Malawi stood at 81.4%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Malawi peaked at 93.9% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 81.4%, in 2024.
That places Malawi 7th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 92.5% | 91.2% | 93.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 89.9% | 88.8% | 91.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 86.9% | 85.5% | 88.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 85.0% | 84.6% | 85.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.7% | 82.8% | 84.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.0% | 81.4% | 82.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More population data for Malawi
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.423 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 3.85 million (2100)
- Population density 627.29 (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.423 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2289 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.45 Percent per annum (2030)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 37,159 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 2.45 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 3.59 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 35,510 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Malawi?
- Rural population in Malawi was 81.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 93.9% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 81.4% in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for rural population?
- Malawi ranks 7th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. 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 Rural population (% of total population). 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