Malawi vs Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan): Proportion of population below international poverty line

Malawi
75.4%
in 2019
Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan)
45.1%
in 2024
Malawi rank
2nd
Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan) rank
4th

Proportion of population below international poverty line over time

  • Malawi
  • Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan)
020406080199020072024

How they compare

Malawi currently reports 75.4% against 45.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan), a difference of 30.3%.

That makes Malawi's figure about 1.7 times Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan)'s.

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

Malawi ranks 2nd and Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan) ranks 4th of 132 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Malawi Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan) Difference Ahead
1990s 64.6% 63.4% 1.2% Malawi
2000s 74.4% 56.9% 17.5% Malawi
2010s 73.3% 46.1% 27.2% Malawi

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher proportion of population below international poverty line, Malawi or Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan)?
Malawi, at 75.4% against 45.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan) as of 2019.
What is the difference in proportion of population below international poverty line between Malawi and Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan)?
30.3%, with Malawi ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan)?
5 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2019.
How do Malawi and Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan) rank globally for proportion of population below international poverty line?
Malawi ranks 2nd and Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan) ranks 4th of 132 countries.
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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Malawi vs Sub-Saharan Africa (inc. Sudan): Proportion of population below international poverty line. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/proportion-of-population-below-international-poverty-line-percent/malawi/sub-saharan-africa-inc-sudan/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of population below international poverty line (%)
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