Share of urban population living in slums in Malawi

Malawi: Share of urban population living in slums was 38.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
38.0%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
58th
of 214 countries
All-time high
82.0%
in 2000
All-time low
38.0%
in 2022
Years of data
13
2000–2024

Share of urban population living in slums in Malawi, 2000–2024

0204060802000201220242000: 82 %2002: 78 %2004: 74 %2006: 70 %2008: 66 %2010: 62 %2012: 58 %2014: 54 %2016: 50 %2018: 46 %2020: 42 %2022: 38 %2024: 38 %

Source: United Nations Human Settlements Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of urban population living in slums in Malawi is 38.0%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 13 years on record.

The figure is down 29.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of urban population living in slums in Malawi peaked at 82.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 38.0%, in 2022.

That places Malawi 58th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.

Share of urban population living in slums in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Share of urban population living in slums in Malawi, 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 82.0%
2002 78.0% -4.9%
2004 74.0% -5.1%
2006 70.0% -5.4%
2008 66.0% -5.7%
2010 62.0% -6.1%
2012 58.0% -6.5%
2014 54.0% -6.9%
2016 50.0% -7.4%
2018 46.0% -8.0%
2020 42.0% -8.7%
2022 38.0% -9.5%
2024 38.0% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 74.0% 66.0% 82.0% 5
2010s 54.0% 46.0% 62.0% 5
2020s 39.3% 38.0% 42.0% 3

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 55 Cambodia 38.9% compare
  2. 56 Togo 38.5% compare
  3. 57 Rwanda 38.4% compare
  4. 59 Gabon 37.9% compare
  5. 60 Nepal 37.7% compare
  6. 61 Guatemala 37.6% compare

See the full ranking of 214 places →

More population data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of urban population living in slums in Malawi?
Share of urban population living in slums in Malawi was 38.0% in 2024, according to United Nations Human Settlements Programme – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of urban population living in slums recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 82.0% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of urban population living in slums recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 38.0% in 2022.
How does Malawi rank for share of urban population living in slums?
Malawi ranks 58th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of urban population living in slums rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 29.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Human Settlements Programme – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban population living in slums. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of urban population living in slums in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Human Settlements Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-urban-population-living-in-slums/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of urban population living in slums
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Human Settlements Programme – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
214 places, 2,632 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed

Proportion of urban population living in slums (%).