Malawi — Population growth
Population Growth (Annual %) for Malawi, 1961–2025.
Population growth for Malawi was 2.56% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1961 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 5.40% in 1988. The lowest was -1.17% in 1994 (about -2.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.11% per year.
Malawi ranks 23 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 11%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 2.30%, so Malawi sits above it. It peaked in 1988 and has fallen 53% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 7%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 14 of 48 economies; Ethiopia (2.55%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 1455% in 1996. That is 3% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1961 level: doubled by 1987.
World ranking. Climbed: 102nd of 216 in 1961 → 86th of 216 in 1970 → 20th of 216 in 1980 → 16th of 216 in 1990 → 52nd of 217 in 2000 → 22nd of 217 in 2010 → 26th of 217 in 2020 → 23rd of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1961 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.56% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 2.58% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 2.57% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 2.57% | -0.0 pp |
| 2021 | 2.59% | -0.0 pp |
| 2020 | 2.64% | -0.0 pp |
| 2019 | 2.65% | -0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 2.67% | -0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 2.71% | -0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 2.73% | -0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 2.75% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 2.8% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 2.84% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 2.87% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 2.92% | -0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 2.95% | -0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 2.96% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 2.9% | +0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 2.82% | +0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 2.76% | +0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 2.68% | +0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 2.59% | +0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 2.5% | +0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 2.45% | +0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 2.42% | +0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 2.4% | +0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 2.33% | +0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 2.16% | +0.2 pp |
| 1997 | 2.01% | +0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 1.97% | +2.1 pp |
| 1995 | -0.15% | +1.0 pp |
| 1994 | -1.17% | -2.6 pp |
| 1993 | 1.46% | -1.5 pp |
| 1992 | 2.91% | -0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 3.08% | -0.9 pp |
| 1990 | 3.95% | -0.8 pp |
| 1989 | 4.72% | -0.7 pp |
| 1988 | 5.4% | +0.6 pp |
| 1987 | 4.78% | +1.1 pp |
| 1986 | 3.68% | -0.2 pp |
| 1985 | 3.85% | -0.1 pp |
| 1984 | 3.91% | -0.0 pp |
| 1983 | 3.95% | -0.0 pp |
| 1982 | 3.95% | +0.0 pp |
| 1981 | 3.93% | +0.1 pp |
| 1980 | 3.85% | +0.2 pp |
| 1979 | 3.69% | +0.3 pp |
| 1978 | 3.42% | +0.3 pp |
| 1977 | 3.1% | +0.2 pp |
| 1976 | 2.91% | +0.1 pp |
| 1975 | 2.8% | +0.1 pp |
| 1974 | 2.71% | +0.1 pp |
| 1973 | 2.62% | +0.1 pp |
| 1972 | 2.56% | +0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 2.5% | +0.0 pp |
| 1970 | 2.46% | -0.0 pp |
| 1969 | 2.47% | -0.0 pp |
| 1968 | 2.48% | +0.0 pp |
| 1967 | 2.47% | +0.0 pp |
| 1966 | 2.45% | +0.0 pp |
| 1965 | 2.44% | -0.0 pp |
| 1964 | 2.45% | +0.0 pp |
| 1963 | 2.44% | +0.0 pp |
| 1962 | 2.41% | +0.0 pp |
| 1961 | 2.38% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Malawi’s Population growth in 1962?
2.41% (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 Population growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1961 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +7.4% in total — about 0.1% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.POP.GROW. 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: 2.56%; 2024: 2.58%; 2023: 2.57%; 2022: 2.57%; 2021: 2.59%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.POP.GROW — Population 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.