Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Malawi
Malawi: Distribution of population between different poverty lines was 14.47 million people in 2019. ▲ Rising
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Malawi, 1997–2019
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2019, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Malawi stood at 14.47 million people. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.1% on the previous year and up 33.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines in Malawi peaked at 14.47 million people in 2019 and was at its lowest, 6.94 million people, in 1997.
Malawi ranks 11th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Malawi, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 6.94 million people | — |
| 2004 | 9.36 million people | +34.8% |
| 2010 | 10.88 million people | +16.3% |
| 2016 | 12.69 million people | +16.6% |
| 2019 | 14.47 million people | +14.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 14.47 million people is above the median for low income countries, which is 9.40 million people, 1.5× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 14.47 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.40 million people, 1.5× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.94 million people | 6.94 million people | 6.94 million people | 1 |
| 2000s | 9.36 million people | 9.36 million people | 9.36 million people | 1 |
| 2010s | 12.68 million people | 10.88 million people | 14.47 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 distribution of population between different poverty lines in Malawi?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines in Malawi was 14.47 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 distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 14.47 million people in 2019.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.94 million people in 1997.
- How does Malawi rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- Malawi ranks 11th out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
- Is distribution of population between different poverty lines rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.0%. 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 Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption below $3 per day.