Proportion of population below international poverty line in Malawi
Malawi: Proportion of population below international poverty line was 75.4% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Malawi, 1997–2019
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2019, proportion of population below international poverty line in Malawi stood at 75.4%. 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, proportion of population below international 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 110 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | 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
- Data deprivation poverty surveys per decade 2 (2025)
- Fertility rate vs the share living in extreme poverty 3.65 (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty 1,857 (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 revenues vs income inequality 15.06 (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, annual growth rate 11.53 % change on previous year (2023)
- Gender inequality index from the human development report 0.581 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of population below international poverty line in Malawi?
- Proportion of population below international poverty line in Malawi was 75.4% in 2019, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 75.4% in 2019.
- What is the lowest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.6% in 1997.
- How does Malawi rank for proportion of population below international poverty line?
- Malawi ranks 2nd out of 110 countries with data for 2019.
- Is proportion of population below international 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 United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population below international poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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