Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Malawi
Malawi: Poverty gap index at $3 a day was 33.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Malawi, 1997–2019
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for poverty gap index at $3 a day in Malawi is 33.8%, measured in 2019.
That represents a change of up 11.3% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty gap index at $3 a day in Malawi peaked at 34.8% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 25.5%, in 1997.
Malawi ranks 3rd of 120 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 25.5% | — |
| 2004 | 32.4% | +26.9% |
| 2010 | 34.8% | +7.5% |
| 2016 | 30.4% | -12.8% |
| 2019 | 33.8% | +11.3% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 33.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 12.5%, 2.7× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 33.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.1%, 3.0× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.5% | 25.5% | 25.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 32.4% | 32.4% | 32.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 33.0% | 30.4% | 34.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 1 Mozambique 44.7% compare
- 2 Zambia 39.8% compare
- 4 Burundi 32.4% compare
- 5 Madagascar 27.6% compare
- 6 Uganda 23.3% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Malawi
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ 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 poverty gap index at $3 a day in Malawi?
- Poverty gap index at $3 a day in Malawi was 33.8% in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest poverty gap index at $3 a day recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 34.8% in 2010.
- What is the lowest poverty gap index at $3 a day recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.5% in 1997.
- How does Malawi rank for poverty gap index at $3 a day?
- Malawi ranks 3rd out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
- Is poverty gap index at $3 a day rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. 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 Poverty gap index at $3 a day. 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
The poverty gap index is a poverty measure that reflects both the prevalence and the depth of poverty. It is calculated as the share of population in poverty multiplied by the average shortfall from the poverty line (expressed as a % of the poverty line).