Total population (thousands) in Malawi
Malawi: Total population (thousands) was 21,934 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
21,934 thousands
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
61st
of 233 countries
All-time high
21,934 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
4,577 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Total population in Malawi, 1970–2025
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 61st out of 233 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.
Total population (thousands) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4,577 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 4,691 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 4,812 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 4,937 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 5,071 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 5,212 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 5,363 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 5,524 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 5,706 thousands | +3.3% |
| 1979 | 5,914 thousands | +3.7% |
| 1980 | 6,143 thousands | +3.9% |
| 1981 | 6,388 thousands | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 6,645 thousands | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 6,913 thousands | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 7,191 thousands | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 7,475 thousands | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 7,766 thousands | +3.9% |
| 1987 | 8,047 thousands | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 8,539 thousands | +6.1% |
| 1989 | 8,967 thousands | +5.0% |
| 1990 | 9,385 thousands | +4.7% |
| 1991 | 9,706 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 9,982 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 10,288 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 10,280 thousands | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 10,050 thousands | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 10,250 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 10,454 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 10,670 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 10,916 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 11,180 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 11,452 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 11,734 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 12,027 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 12,336 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 12,665 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 13,015 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 13,382 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 13,770 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 14,183 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 14,609 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 15,044 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 15,486 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 15,933 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 16,390 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 16,853 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 17,319 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 17,797 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 18,282 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 18,774 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 19,278 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 19,790 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 20,305 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 20,833 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 21,376 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2025 | 21,934 thousands | +2.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 21,934 thousands is below the median for low income countries, which is 23,812 thousands, 92% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 21,934 thousands is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,783 thousands, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
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 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)
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Population density 627.29 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.85 million people (2100)
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 61st out of 233 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 · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release