Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Malawi
Malawi: Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median was 11.1% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Malawi, 1997–2019
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 11.1% for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in 2019.
The figure is up 18.2% on the previous year and down 25.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Malawi peaked at 15.0% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 9.4%, in 2016.
Malawi ranks 63rd of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 9.8% | — |
| 2004 | 10.3% | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 15.0% | +46.2% |
| 2016 | 9.4% | -37.3% |
| 2019 | 11.1% | +18.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.8% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 10.3% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 1 |
| 2010s | 11.8% | 9.4% | 15.0% | 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 relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Malawi?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Malawi was 11.1% in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 15.0% in 2010.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.4% in 2016.
- How does Malawi rank for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median?
- Malawi ranks 63rd out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.9%. 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 Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median. 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
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 50% of the median.