What is population growth rate in Malawi?

Population growth rate in Malawi was 2.6% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Malawi?

The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 1987.

What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Malawi?

The lowest recorded value was -2.3% in 1994.

How does Malawi rank for population growth rate?

Malawi ranks 26th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.

Is population growth rate rising or falling in Malawi?

Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

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 Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Population growth rate in Malawi

Name: Population growth rate in Malawi
Creator: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Malawi: Population growth rate was 2.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)

2.6%

Change on year

up 0.2%

World rank

26th

of 236 countries

All-time high

5.9%

in 1987

All-time low

-2.3%

in 1994

Years of data

1950–2023

Population growth rate in Malawi, 1950–2023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, population growth rate in Malawi stood at 2.6%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population growth rate in Malawi peaked at 5.9% in 1987 and was at its lowest, -2.3%, in 1994.

That places Malawi 26th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	2.0%	1.7%	2.3%	10
1960s	2.4%	2.4%	2.5%	10
1970s	2.9%	2.5%	3.8%	10
1980s	4.2%	3.6%	5.9%	10
1990s	1.7%	-2.3%	3.4%	10
2000s	2.7%	2.4%	3.0%	10
2010s	2.8%	2.7%	2.9%	10
2020s	2.6%	2.6%	2.6%	4

Countries ranked near Malawi

23 Burundi 2.7% compare
24 Cameroon 2.6% compare
25 Ethiopia 2.6% compare
27 Benin 2.5% compare
28 Cote d'Ivoire 2.5% compare
28 Madagascar 2.5% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Malawi

Literate and illiterate world population 29.9% (2020)

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is population growth rate in Malawi?: Population growth rate in Malawi was 2.6% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Malawi?: The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 1987.
What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Malawi?: The lowest recorded value was -2.3% in 1994.
How does Malawi rank for population growth rate?: Malawi ranks 26th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is population growth rate rising or falling in Malawi?: Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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 Population growth rate. 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: Population growth rate
Unit: %
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: 06 August 2026

The annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.