Gini coefficient in Malawi
Malawi: Gini coefficient was 0.3854 in 2019. ▼ Falling
Gini coefficient in Malawi, 1997–2019
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 0.3854 for gini coefficient in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is down 13.8% on the previous year and down 15.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini coefficient in Malawi peaked at 0.6576 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 0.3854, in 2019.
Malawi ranks 34th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Gini coefficient in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 0.6576 | — |
| 2004 | 0.3987 | -39.4% |
| 2010 | 0.4547 | +14.0% |
| 2016 | 0.4469 | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 0.3854 | -13.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 0.3854 is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.3739, 1.0× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 0.3854 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.3766, 1.0× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.6576 | 0.6576 | 0.6576 | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.3987 | 0.3987 | 0.3987 | 1 |
| 2010s | 0.429 | 0.3854 | 0.4547 | 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 gini coefficient in Malawi?
- Gini coefficient in Malawi was 0.3854 in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gini coefficient recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6576 in 1997.
- What is the lowest gini coefficient recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3854 in 2019.
- How does Malawi rank for gini coefficient?
- Malawi ranks 34th out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
- Is gini coefficient rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Gini coefficient. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The Gini coefficient measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality.