Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index in Malawi

Malawi: Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index was 3.65 live births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
3.65 live births per woman
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
40th
of 236 countries
All-time high
7.52 live births per woman
in 1980
All-time low
3.65 live births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index in Malawi, 1950–2023

02468195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.

Analysis

In 2023, fertility rate vs. human development index in Malawi stood at 3.65 live births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 23.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. human development index in Malawi peaked at 7.52 live births per woman in 1980 and was at its lowest, 3.65 live births per woman, in 2023.

That places Malawi 40th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 6.88 live births per woman 6.8 live births per woman 7.01 live births per woman 10
1960s 7.15 live births per woman 7.04 live births per woman 7.27 live births per woman 10
1970s 7.37 live births per woman 7.29 live births per woman 7.46 live births per woman 10
1980s 7.2 live births per woman 6.8 live births per woman 7.52 live births per woman 10
1990s 6.43 live births per woman 6.12 live births per woman 6.74 live births per woman 10
2000s 5.8 live births per woman 5.45 live births per woman 6 live births per woman 10
2010s 4.53 live births per woman 3.95 live births per woman 5.26 live births per woman 10
2020s 3.76 live births per woman 3.65 live births per woman 3.88 live births per woman 4

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 37 Zimbabwe 3.72 live births per woman compare
  2. 38 Eritrea 3.71 live births per woman compare
  3. 39 Rwanda 3.7 live births per woman compare
  4. 41 Gabon 3.65 live births per woman compare
  5. 42 Sao Tome and Principe 3.64 live births per woman compare
  6. 43 Pakistan 3.6 live births per woman compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is fertility rate vs. human development index in Malawi?
Fertility rate vs. human development index in Malawi was 3.65 live births per woman in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest fertility rate vs. human development index recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 7.52 live births per woman in 1980.
What is the lowest fertility rate vs. human development index recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 3.65 live births per woman in 2023.
How does Malawi rank for fertility rate vs. human development index?
Malawi ranks 40th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is fertility rate vs. human development index rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index
Unit
live births per woman
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

The total fertility rate: the average number of children a woman would have if she experienced the year's age-specific birth rates throughout her childbearing years.