How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Sub-Saharan Africa?

5 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2019.

Where does this data come from?

World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Malawi vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP)

Malawi

87.3%

in 2019

Sub-Saharan Africa

63.3%

in 2024

Malawi rank

2nd

Sub-Saharan Africa rank

2nd

Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) over time

Malawi
Sub-Saharan Africa

How they compare

Malawi currently reports 87.3% against 63.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 24.0%.

That makes Malawi's figure about 1.4 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

Across all 5 years both countries report, Malawi has been ahead every year.

Malawi ranks 2nd and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd of 123 countries.

Malawi has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Malawi	Sub-Saharan Africa	Difference	Ahead
1990s	79.8%	75.7%	4.1%	Malawi
2000s	86.7%	72.2%	14.5%	Malawi
2010s	85.9%	63.2%	22.7%	Malawi

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp), Malawi or Sub-Saharan Africa?: Malawi, at 87.3% against 63.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2019.
What is the difference in poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) between Malawi and Sub-Saharan Africa?: 24.0%, with Malawi ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Sub-Saharan Africa?: 5 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2019.
How do Malawi and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp)?: Malawi ranks 2nd and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd of 123 countries.
Where does this data come from?: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Malawi vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP). Statizoid, drawing on World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/poverty-headcount-ratio-at-4-20-a-day-2021-ppp-percent-of-population/malawi/sub-saharan-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/poverty-headcount-ratio-at-4-20-a-day-2021-ppp-percent-of-population/malawi/sub-saharan-africa/">Malawi vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP)</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population)
Unit: % of population
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 137 places, 2,872 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed: 03 September 2026

Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $4.20 a day at 2021 international prices.