Total population in Malawi
Malawi: Total population was 21,934 thousands in 2025. β² Rising
Total population in Malawi, 1970β2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 21,934 thousands for total population in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 30.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Malawi peaked at 21,934 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4,577 thousands, in 1970.
That places Malawi 60th out of 230 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5,181 thousands | 4,577 thousands | 5,914 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 7,407 thousands | 6,143 thousands | 8,967 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 10,198 thousands | 9,385 thousands | 10,916 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 12,574 thousands | 11,180 thousands | 14,183 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,649 thousands | 14,609 thousands | 18,774 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 20,586 thousands | 19,278 thousands | 21,934 thousands | 6 |
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)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 3.59 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 35,510 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 3.59 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 3.59 (2024)
- Natural population growth 2.6 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 3.65 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total population in Malawi?
- Total population in Malawi was 21,934 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 21,934 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,577 thousands in 1970.
- How does Malawi rank for total population?
- Malawi ranks 60th out of 230 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release