Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Malawi
Malawi: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 81.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
81.4%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
7th
of 214 countries
All-time high
93.9%
in 1970
All-time low
81.4%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
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.
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 93.9% | — |
| 1971 | 93.7% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 93.3% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 93.0% | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 92.7% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 92.3% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 92.0% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 91.6% | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 91.4% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 91.2% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 91.0% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 90.7% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 90.5% | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 90.3% | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 90.1% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 89.8% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 89.6% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 89.4% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 89.1% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 88.8% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 88.4% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 88.1% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 87.8% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 87.4% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 87.1% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 86.7% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 86.4% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 86.0% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 85.6% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 85.5% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 85.4% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 85.3% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 85.2% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 85.1% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 85.0% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 84.9% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 84.9% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 84.8% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 84.7% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 84.6% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 84.5% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 84.3% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 84.2% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 84.0% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 83.9% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 83.7% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 83.5% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 83.3% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 83.1% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 82.8% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 82.6% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 82.3% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 82.0% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 81.7% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 81.4% | -0.4% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 81.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 59.5%, 1.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 81.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 54.5%, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
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 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 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