External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita in Malawi
Malawi: External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita was 172.88 DOD, current US$ per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita in Malawi, 1970–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in DOD, current US$ per person.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 172.88 DOD, current US$ per person for external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita in 2024.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 73.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita in Malawi peaked at 275.47 DOD, current US$ per person in 2004 and was at its lowest, 29.18 DOD, current US$ per person, in 1970.
Malawi ranks 114th of 122 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita in Malawi, year by year
| Year | DOD, current US$ per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 29.18 DOD, current US$ per person | — |
| 1971 | 32.03 DOD, current US$ per person | +9.8% |
| 1972 | 36.04 DOD, current US$ per person | +12.5% |
| 1973 | 42.97 DOD, current US$ per person | +19.2% |
| 1974 | 47.16 DOD, current US$ per person | +9.7% |
| 1975 | 51.09 DOD, current US$ per person | +8.3% |
| 1976 | 56.83 DOD, current US$ per person | +11.2% |
| 1977 | 82.02 DOD, current US$ per person | +44.3% |
| 1978 | 102.35 DOD, current US$ per person | +24.8% |
| 1979 | 110.97 DOD, current US$ per person | +8.4% |
| 1980 | 132.49 DOD, current US$ per person | +19.4% |
| 1981 | 126.07 DOD, current US$ per person | -4.8% |
| 1982 | 127.58 DOD, current US$ per person | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 126.56 DOD, current US$ per person | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 120 DOD, current US$ per person | -5.2% |
| 1985 | 133.96 DOD, current US$ per person | +11.6% |
| 1986 | 146.38 DOD, current US$ per person | +9.3% |
| 1987 | 164.81 DOD, current US$ per person | +12.6% |
| 1988 | 155.26 DOD, current US$ per person | -5.8% |
| 1989 | 153.67 DOD, current US$ per person | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 163.24 DOD, current US$ per person | +6.2% |
| 1991 | 169.13 DOD, current US$ per person | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 168.61 DOD, current US$ per person | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 177.58 DOD, current US$ per person | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 198.83 DOD, current US$ per person | +12.0% |
| 1995 | 220.57 DOD, current US$ per person | +10.9% |
| 1996 | 223.3 DOD, current US$ per person | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 210.71 DOD, current US$ per person | -5.6% |
| 1998 | 225.97 DOD, current US$ per person | +7.2% |
| 1999 | 249.56 DOD, current US$ per person | +10.4% |
| 2000 | 240.03 DOD, current US$ per person | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 223.56 DOD, current US$ per person | -6.9% |
| 2002 | 244.18 DOD, current US$ per person | +9.2% |
| 2003 | 255.4 DOD, current US$ per person | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 275.47 DOD, current US$ per person | +7.9% |
| 2005 | 248.91 DOD, current US$ per person | -9.6% |
| 2006 | 65.96 DOD, current US$ per person | -73.5% |
| 2007 | 64 DOD, current US$ per person | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 71.17 DOD, current US$ per person | +11.2% |
| 2009 | 79.5 DOD, current US$ per person | +11.7% |
| 2010 | 68.85 DOD, current US$ per person | -13.4% |
| 2011 | 79.5 DOD, current US$ per person | +15.5% |
| 2012 | 84.77 DOD, current US$ per person | +6.6% |
| 2013 | 96.71 DOD, current US$ per person | +14.1% |
| 2014 | 99.92 DOD, current US$ per person | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 100.82 DOD, current US$ per person | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 105.26 DOD, current US$ per person | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 119.87 DOD, current US$ per person | +13.9% |
| 2018 | 122.28 DOD, current US$ per person | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 127.59 DOD, current US$ per person | +4.3% |
| 2020 | 151.62 DOD, current US$ per person | +18.8% |
| 2021 | 159.48 DOD, current US$ per person | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 162.39 DOD, current US$ per person | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 170.78 DOD, current US$ per person | +5.2% |
| 2024 | 172.88 DOD, current US$ per person | +1.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 172.88 DOD, current US$ per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 208.15 DOD, current US$ per person, 83% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 172.88 DOD, current US$ per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 568.34 DOD, current US$ per person, 30% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | -73.5% | 248.91 DOD, current US$ per person | 65.96 DOD, current US$ per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 59.06 DOD, current US$ per person | 29.18 DOD, current US$ per person | 110.97 DOD, current US$ per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 138.68 DOD, current US$ per person | 120 DOD, current US$ per person | 164.81 DOD, current US$ per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 200.75 DOD, current US$ per person | 163.24 DOD, current US$ per person | 249.56 DOD, current US$ per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 176.82 DOD, current US$ per person | 64 DOD, current US$ per person | 275.47 DOD, current US$ per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 100.56 DOD, current US$ per person | 68.85 DOD, current US$ per person | 127.59 DOD, current US$ per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 163.43 DOD, current US$ per person | 151.62 DOD, current US$ per person | 172.88 DOD, current US$ per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 111 Eritrea 196.09 DOD, current US$ per person compare
- 112 Syria 192.79 DOD, current US$ per person compare
- 113 Yemen 174.63 DOD, current US$ per person compare
- 115 Chad 164.95 DOD, current US$ per person compare
- 116 Algeria 147.35 DOD, current US$ per person compare
- 117 Democratic Republic of Congo 114.25 DOD, current US$ per person compare
More economy & growth data for Malawi
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.07 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.6 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -12.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 0.0151 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -16.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 0.0111 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0125 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita in Malawi?
- External debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita in Malawi was 172.88 DOD, current US$ per person in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 275.47 DOD, current US$ per person in 2004.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.18 DOD, current US$ per person in 1970.
- How does Malawi rank for external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita?
- Malawi ranks 114th out of 122 countries with data for 2024.
- Is external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per capita rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 73.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- External debt stocks, total International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.