Malawi vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Prosperity gap

Malawi
16.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day
in 2019
Sub-Saharan Africa
11.5 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day
in 2024
Malawi rank
3rd
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
2nd

Prosperity gap over time

  • Malawi
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
05101520199020072024

How they compare

Malawi currently reports 16.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day against 11.5 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 5.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day.

That makes Malawi's figure about 1.5 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 3rd and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd of 123 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 13.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 17.9 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 4.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day Sub-Saharan Africa
2000s 16.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 15.5 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 0.6 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day Malawi
2010s 16.67 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 11.87 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 4.8 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day Malawi

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher prosperity gap, Malawi or Sub-Saharan Africa?
Malawi, at 16.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day against 11.5 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2019.
What is the difference in prosperity gap between Malawi and Sub-Saharan Africa?
5.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day, 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 prosperity gap?
Malawi ranks 3rd 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 Prosperity gap (average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Malawi vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Prosperity gap. 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 03 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/prosperity-gap-average-shortfall-from-a-prosperity-standard-of-28-day/malawi/sub-saharan-africa/

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<a href="https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/prosperity-gap-average-shortfall-from-a-prosperity-standard-of-28-day/malawi/sub-saharan-africa/">Malawi vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Prosperity gap</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Prosperity gap (average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day)
Unit
average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day
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, 2,866 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

The average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28 per day (adjusted for differences in purchasing power parity across countries). It is measured as the average factor by which incomes fall short of $28.