Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Malawi
Malawi: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 75.4% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line 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
The most recent figure for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Malawi is 75.4%, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.2% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line 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 societal poverty line 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 societal poverty line in Malawi?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line 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 societal poverty line recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 75.4% in 2019.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.6% in 1997.
- How does Malawi rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Malawi ranks 2nd out of 123 countries with data for 2019.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line 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 societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.