Human Development Index in Malawi
Malawi: Human Development Index was 0.517 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Human Development Index in Malawi, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 0.517 for human development index in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index in Malawi peaked at 0.517 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.306, in 1990.
Malawi ranks 172nd of 192 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.3483 | 0.306 | 0.392 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4263 | 0.394 | 0.465 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4981 | 0.475 | 0.513 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5128 | 0.509 | 0.517 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More reference data data for Malawi
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.1976 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 3.65 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.65 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.65 live births per woman (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 54.45 0-100 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -0.1463 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -0.1094 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 54.93 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 59.4 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate -0.3802 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human development index in Malawi?
- Human development index in Malawi was 0.517 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human development index recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 0.517 in 2023.
- What is the lowest human development index recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.306 in 1990.
- How does Malawi rank for human development index?
- Malawi ranks 172nd out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human development index rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Development Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.