Share of population living in rural areas in Malawi

Malawi: Share of population living in rural areas was 35.61 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
35.61
World rank
65th
of 229 countries
All-time high
92.71
in 1950
All-time low
35.61
in 2020
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in rural areas in Malawi, 1950–2020

0204060801001950198520201950: 92.71955: 91.71960: 90.41965: 88.91970: 87.11975: 85.11980: 81.41985: 74.21990: 66.31995: 63.92000: 59.42005: 54.12010: 47.42015: 40.82020: 35.6

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Malawi recorded 35.61 for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

The figure is down 24.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Malawi peaked at 92.71 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 35.61, in 2020.

Malawi ranks 65th of 229 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in rural areas in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in rural areas in Malawi, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 92.71
1955 91.68 -1.1%
1960 90.41 -1.4%
1965 88.88 -1.7%
1970 87.12 -2.0%
1975 85.06 -2.4%
1980 81.42 -4.3%
1985 74.19 -8.9%
1990 66.3 -10.6%
1995 63.89 -3.6%
2000 59.45 -7.0%
2005 54.09 -9.0%
2010 47.43 -12.3%
2015 40.83 -13.9%
2020 35.61 -12.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 92.19 91.68 92.71 2
1960s 89.64 88.88 90.41 2
1970s 86.09 85.06 87.12 2
1980s 77.81 74.19 81.42 2
1990s 65.1 63.89 66.3 2
2000s 56.77 54.09 59.45 2
2010s 44.13 40.83 47.43 2
2020s 35.61 35.61 35.61 1

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 62 Eritrea 36.37 compare
  2. 63 Georgia 35.69 compare
  3. 64 Ethiopia 35.63 compare
  4. 66 Nicaragua 35.6 compare
  5. 67 Norway 35.53 compare
  6. 68 Denmark 35.21 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in rural areas in Malawi?
Share of population living in rural areas in Malawi was 35.61 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 92.71 in 1950.
What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 35.61 in 2020.
How does Malawi rank for share of population living in rural areas?
Malawi ranks 65th out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in rural areas in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in rural areas
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed