Malawi: key statistics
Sub-Saharan Africa · Low income · capital Lilongwe
Malawi has a GDP of $11.3B and a GDP per capita of $523, with a population of about 21.7 million (World Bank, latest available year). Life expectancy is 67.6 years. Among countries with data, Malawi ranks #153 of 214 by GDP, #211 of 214 by GDP per capita, #61 of 217 by population. Full indicator table, peer countries and head-to-head comparisons are below.
Source: World Bank Open Data. Data as of June 2026.
Malawi at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (current US$) | $11.3B | 2024 |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | $523 | 2024 |
| Population, total | 21,655,286 | 2024 |
| Population growth (annual %) | 2.6% | 2024 |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 1.7% | 2024 |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) | 32.2% | 2024 |
| Unemployment, total (% of labour force, modelled ILO) | 5.1% | 2025 |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 67.6 | 2024 |
| Individuals using the Internet (% of population) | 19.0% | 2024 |
| Urban population (% of total) | 17.3% | 2024 |
| CO2 emissions per capita (tonnes) | 0.22 | 2024 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). Data as of June 2026.
Each value is the most-recent year the World Bank reports for Malawi (the year column), so figures are not all from the same year. A dash (—) means no value is reported.
How Malawi ranks
- GDP: #153 of 214 ($11.3B)
- GDP per capita: #211 of 214 ($523)
- Population: #61 of 217 (21.7 million)
- Life expectancy: #171 of 217 (67.6 years)
Malawi vs its peers
The 6 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with the closest GDP per capita to Malawi:
| Country | GDP per capita | Population | Life expectancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malawi (this country) | $523 | 21.7 million | 67.6 |
| Central African Republic | $516 | 5.3 million | 57.7 |
| Madagascar | $545 | 32.0 million | 63.8 |
| Somalia, Fed. Rep. | $630 | 19.0 million | 59.0 |
| Congo, Dem. Rep. | $649 | 109.3 million | 62.1 |
| Mozambique | $657 | 34.6 million | 63.8 |
| Eritrea | $689 | 3.5 million | 68.9 |
See every country in this region on the Sub-Saharan Africa hub.
Compare Malawi head to head
Frequently asked questions
What is the GDP of Malawi?
Malawi's GDP is $11.3B (2024) in current US dollars (World Bank). GDP per capita is $523 (2024). That ranks Malawi #153 of 214 economies with reported GDP.
What is the population of Malawi?
Malawi has a population of about 21.7 million (2024), per World Bank data. It is the #61 most populous of 217 countries.
What region and income group is Malawi in?
The World Bank places Malawi in the Sub-Saharan Africa region and classifies it as a low income economy. Its capital is Lilongwe.
How long do people live in Malawi?
Life expectancy at birth in Malawi is 67.6 years (2024, World Bank). That ranks #171 of 217.
Sources & notes
Data: World Bank Open Data, Indicators API (CC BY 4.0), retrieved June 2026. Values are each indicator's most-recent non-empty year for Malawi, so the reference year varies by indicator (shown in the table). Figures are nominal (current US$) unless noted; see our methodology. Browse all 217 countries.
Last updated: 2026-06-20