Number of people living in extreme poverty in Malawi
Malawi: Number of people living in extreme poverty was 4.71 million people in 2019. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Malawi, 1997–2019
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 4.71 million people for number of people living in extreme poverty in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.1% on the previous year and up 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty in Malawi peaked at 5.02 million people in 2016 and was at its lowest, 3.22 million people, in 2004.
That places Malawi 94th out of 120 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Malawi, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 3.81 million people | — |
| 2004 | 3.22 million people | -15.5% |
| 2010 | 4.05 million people | +25.7% |
| 2016 | 5.02 million people | +24.0% |
| 2019 | 4.71 million people | -6.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 4.71 million people is below the median for low income countries, which is 9.33 million people, 51% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 4.71 million people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.66 million people, 44% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.81 million people | 3.81 million people | 3.81 million people | 1 |
| 2000s | 3.22 million people | 3.22 million people | 3.22 million people | 1 |
| 2010s | 4.59 million people | 4.05 million people | 5.02 million people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More poverty & inequality data for Malawi
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 3.65 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,857 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -4.49 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 15.06 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 15.1% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in extreme poverty in Malawi?
- Number of people living in extreme poverty in Malawi was 4.71 million people in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 5.02 million people in 2016.
- What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.22 million people in 2004.
- How does Malawi rank for number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Malawi ranks 94th out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
- Is number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $3 per day.