Africa vs Malawi: Proportion of population below international poverty line

Africa
38.7%
in 2024
Malawi
75.4%
in 2019
Africa rank
7th
Malawi rank
2nd

Proportion of population below international poverty line over time

  • Africa
  • Malawi
020406080198920062024

How they compare

Malawi currently reports 75.4% against 38.7% in Africa, a difference of 36.7%.

That makes Malawi's figure about 1.9 times Africa's.

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

Africa ranks 7th and Malawi ranks 2nd of 42 groups.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Africa Malawi Difference Ahead
1990s 53.3% 64.6% 11.3% Malawi
2000s 48.0% 74.4% 26.4% Malawi
2010s 39.1% 73.3% 34.2% Malawi

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher proportion of population below international poverty line, Africa or Malawi?
Malawi, at 75.4% against 38.7% in Africa as of 2019.
What is the difference in proportion of population below international poverty line between Africa and Malawi?
36.7%, with Malawi ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Africa and Malawi?
5 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2019.
How do Africa and Malawi rank globally for proportion of population below international poverty line?
Africa ranks 7th and Malawi ranks 2nd of 42 groups.
Where does this data come from?
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Proportion of population below international poverty line (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Africa vs Malawi: Proportion of population below international poverty line. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/proportion-of-population-below-international-poverty-line-percent/africa/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of population below international poverty line (%)
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
174 places, 4,024 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed