Malawi vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Proportion of population below international poverty line

Malawi
75.4%
in 2019
Sub-Saharan Africa
45.2%
in 2024
Malawi rank
2nd
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
3rd

Proportion of population below international poverty line over time

  • Malawi
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
020406080199020072024

How they compare

Malawi currently reports 75.4% against 45.2% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 30.2%.

That makes Malawi's figure about 1.7 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 5 shared years of data; in 1997 it was Sub-Saharan Africa ahead.

Malawi ranks 2nd and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 3rd of 132 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Malawi averaged higher in 2 and Sub-Saharan Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Malawi Sub-Saharan Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 64.6% 65.3% 0.7% Sub-Saharan Africa
2000s 74.4% 58.7% 15.7% Malawi
2010s 73.3% 47.5% 25.8% 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?
Malawi, at 75.4% against 45.2% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2019.
What is the difference in proportion of population below international poverty line between Malawi and Sub-Saharan Africa?
30.2%, 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 proportion of population below international poverty line?
Malawi ranks 2nd and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 3rd 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: Proportion of population below international poverty line. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/proportion-of-population-below-international-poverty-line-percent/malawi/sub-saharan-africa/

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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