Three metrics of inequality in Malawi
Malawi: Three metrics of inequality was 58.85 in 2019. ▬ Flat
Three metrics of inequality in Malawi, 1938–2019
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for three metrics of inequality in Malawi is 58.85, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 29 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.9% on the previous year and down 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, three metrics of inequality in Malawi peaked at 84.14 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 58.85, in 2019.
Malawi ranks 37th of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Three metrics of inequality in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | 64.34 | — |
| 1945 | 65.09 | +1.2% |
| 1953 | 66.84 | +2.7% |
| 1954 | 65.96 | -1.3% |
| 1955 | 66.79 | +1.3% |
| 1956 | 67.78 | +1.5% |
| 1957 | 68.61 | +1.2% |
| 1958 | 68.47 | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 70.53 | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 71.79 | +1.8% |
| 1966 | 71.06 | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 72.15 | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 73.63 | +2.1% |
| 1969 | 72.71 | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 73.94 | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 75.45 | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 77.34 | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 75.85 | -1.9% |
| 1974 | 77.4 | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 79.16 | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 77.82 | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 79.39 | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 81.06 | +2.1% |
| 1979 | 79.95 | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 84.14 | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 61.01 | -27.5% |
| 2010 | 65.15 | +6.8% |
| 2016 | 66.8 | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 58.85 | -11.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 58.85 is above the median for low income countries, which is 57.84, 1.0× the median. (12 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 58.85 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 57.71, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Three metrics of inequality in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | -27.5% | 84.14 | 61.01 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 64.34 | 64.34 | 64.34 | 1 |
| 1940s | 65.09 | 65.09 | 65.09 | 1 |
| 1950s | 67.41 | 65.96 | 68.61 | 6 |
| 1960s | 71.98 | 70.53 | 73.63 | 6 |
| 1970s | 77.74 | 73.94 | 81.06 | 10 |
| 1990s | 84.14 | 84.14 | 84.14 | 1 |
| 2000s | 61.01 | 61.01 | 61.01 | 1 |
| 2010s | 63.6 | 58.85 | 66.8 | 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 three metrics of inequality in Malawi?
- Three metrics of inequality in Malawi was 58.85 in 2019, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest three metrics of inequality recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 84.14 in 1997.
- What is the lowest three metrics of inequality recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 58.85 in 2019.
- How does Malawi rank for three metrics of inequality?
- Malawi ranks 37th out of 113 countries with data for 2019.
- Is three metrics of inequality rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Three metrics of inequality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The Gini coefficient measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality. Inequality is measured here in terms of income before taxes and benefits.