Malawi — GDP growth
GDP Growth (Annual %) for Malawi, 1961–2025.
GDP growth for Malawi was 1.89% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1961 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 16.73% in 1995. The lowest was -10.24% in 1994 (about -5.4× the latest value). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -2.16% per year.
Malawi ranks 148 of 212 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 70%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 4.61%, so Malawi sits below it. It peaked in 1995 and has fallen 89% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 33%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 41 of 47 economies; Namibia (1.73%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 3284% in 1971. That is 33% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1961 level: doubled by 1971.
World ranking. Slipped: 21st of 107 in 1961 → 109th of 119 in 1970 → 109th of 152 in 1980 → 44th of 176 in 1990 → 162nd of 199 in 2000 → 46th of 209 in 2010 → 31st of 209 in 2020 → 136th of 186 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1961 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.89% | +0.2 pp |
| 2024 | 1.67% | -0.3 pp |
| 2023 | 1.95% | +1.0 pp |
| 2022 | 0.92% | -3.6 pp |
| 2021 | 4.56% | +3.8 pp |
| 2020 | 0.79% | -4.9 pp |
| 2019 | 5.72% | +1.4 pp |
| 2018 | 4.35% | +0.4 pp |
| 2017 | 4% | +1.5 pp |
| 2016 | 2.5% | -0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 2.8% | -2.8 pp |
| 2014 | 5.63% | +0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 5.41% | +3.5 pp |
| 2012 | 1.9% | -3.0 pp |
| 2011 | 4.93% | -1.9 pp |
| 2010 | 6.87% | -1.5 pp |
| 2009 | 8.33% | +0.7 pp |
| 2008 | 7.64% | -2.0 pp |
| 2007 | 9.6% | +4.9 pp |
| 2006 | 4.7% | +1.4 pp |
| 2005 | 3.27% | -2.2 pp |
| 2004 | 5.42% | -0.3 pp |
| 2003 | 5.71% | +4.0 pp |
| 2002 | 1.7% | +6.7 pp |
| 2001 | -4.97% | -6.6 pp |
| 2000 | 1.58% | -1.5 pp |
| 1999 | 3.04% | -0.9 pp |
| 1998 | 3.9% | +0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 3.79% | -3.5 pp |
| 1996 | 7.32% | -9.4 pp |
| 1995 | 16.73% | +27.0 pp |
| 1994 | -10.24% | -19.9 pp |
| 1993 | 9.69% | +17.0 pp |
| 1992 | -7.33% | -16.1 pp |
| 1991 | 8.73% | +3.0 pp |
| 1990 | 5.69% | +4.3 pp |
| 1989 | 1.34% | -1.8 pp |
| 1988 | 3.18% | +1.6 pp |
| 1987 | 1.63% | +1.8 pp |
| 1986 | -0.21% | -4.8 pp |
| 1985 | 4.57% | -0.8 pp |
| 1984 | 5.36% | +1.6 pp |
| 1983 | 3.72% | +1.2 pp |
| 1982 | 2.5% | +7.8 pp |
| 1981 | -5.29% | -5.7 pp |
| 1980 | 0.41% | -4.0 pp |
| 1979 | 4.4% | -5.3 pp |
| 1978 | 9.75% | +4.8 pp |
| 1977 | 4.92% | -0.1 pp |
| 1976 | 5% | -1.1 pp |
| 1975 | 6.09% | -1.1 pp |
| 1974 | 7.18% | +4.9 pp |
| 1973 | 2.3% | -3.9 pp |
| 1972 | 6.23% | -10.0 pp |
| 1971 | 16.22% | +15.7 pp |
| 1970 | 0.48% | -5.4 pp |
| 1969 | 5.88% | +7.8 pp |
| 1968 | -1.92% | -9.2 pp |
| 1967 | 7.28% | -6.0 pp |
| 1966 | 13.25% | -0.4 pp |
| 1965 | 13.62% | +11.0 pp |
| 1964 | 2.66% | +4.1 pp |
| 1963 | -1.39% | -2.1 pp |
| 1962 | 0.67% | -7.0 pp |
| 1961 | 7.64% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Malawi’s GDP growth in 1962?
0.67% (1962). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Malawi’s GDP growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1961 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -75.3% in total — about 2.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 1.89%; 2024: 1.67%; 2023: 1.95%; 2022: 0.92%; 2021: 4.56%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG — GDP Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.