Malawi — Health spending
Health Spending (% of GDP) for Malawi, 2000–2023.
Health spending for Malawi was 6.53% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 24 years, from 2000 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 8.22% in 2013. The lowest was 2.06% in 2001 (about 3.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 4.54% per year.
Malawi ranks 95 of 189 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 50%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 4.48%, so Malawi sits above it. It peaked in 2013 and has fallen 21% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved down 21%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 12 of 46 economies; Botswana (6.26%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 37% in 2013. That is 8% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 2000 level: doubled by 2006. Doubling roughly every 16 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 172nd of 184 in 2000 → 110th of 188 in 2010 → 89th of 189 in 2020 → 94th of 188 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 2000 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 6.53% | -0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 6.63% | -0.9 pp |
| 2021 | 7.52% | +0.5 pp |
| 2020 | 7.04% | +0.7 pp |
| 2019 | 6.37% | -0.5 pp |
| 2018 | 6.88% | -0.7 pp |
| 2017 | 7.58% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 7.73% | +1.1 pp |
| 2015 | 6.63% | -0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 6.9% | -1.3 pp |
| 2013 | 8.22% | +2.2 pp |
| 2012 | 6.02% | +0.7 pp |
| 2011 | 5.32% | +0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 5.14% | -0.7 pp |
| 2009 | 5.87% | -0.2 pp |
| 2008 | 6.11% | +0.7 pp |
| 2007 | 5.44% | +0.5 pp |
| 2006 | 4.91% | +0.6 pp |
| 2005 | 4.3% | +0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 4.07% | +0.8 pp |
| 2003 | 3.32% | +0.6 pp |
| 2002 | 2.7% | +0.6 pp |
| 2001 | 2.06% | -0.3 pp |
| 2000 | 2.35% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Malawi’s Health spending in 2001?
2.06% (2001). 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 % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Malawi’s Health spending growing or shrinking?
Between 2000 and 2023 the series was growing overall: +177.8% in total — about 4.5% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS. 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: 2023: 6.53%; 2022: 6.63%; 2021: 7.52%; 2020: 7.04%; 2019: 6.37%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS — Health Spending (% of GDP). 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.