Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) in Malawi
Malawi: Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) was 75.4% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) in Malawi, 1997–2019
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 75.4% for poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) in 2019. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is up 5.2% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) in Malawi peaked at 75.4% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 64.6%, in 1997.
That places Malawi 2nd out of 123 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.
Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 64.6% | — |
| 2004 | 74.4% | +15.2% |
| 2010 | 72.9% | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 71.7% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 75.4% | +5.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 64.6% | 64.6% | 64.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 74.4% | 74.4% | 74.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 73.3% | 71.7% | 75.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 1 Mozambique 81.4% compare
- 3 Burundi 74.2% compare
- 4 Zambia 71.7% compare
- 5 Madagascar 69.2% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Malawi
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ 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 headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) in Malawi?
- Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) in Malawi was 75.4% in 2019, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 75.4% in 2019.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.6% in 1997.
- How does Malawi rank for poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp)?
- Malawi ranks 2nd out of 123 countries with data for 2019.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 ppp) rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. 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. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.00 a day at 2021 purchasing power adjusted prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.