Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Malawi
Malawi: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 17.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Malawi, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Malawi is 17.6%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Malawi peaked at 17.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.5%, in 1950.
Malawi ranks 230th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.7% | 3.5% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.6% | 4.0% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.5% | 5.7% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.1% | 9.1% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.3% | 11.6% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.1% | 14.7% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.8% | 15.5% | 16.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 16.3% | 17.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More population data for Malawi
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.4% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.85 million people (2100)
- Population density 627.29 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 3.59 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 35,510 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 3.59 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 3.59 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 2.6% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.65 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Malawi?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Malawi was 17.6% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 17.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.5% in 1950.
- How does Malawi rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Malawi ranks 230th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.