GDP per capita in Malawi
Malawi: GDP per capita was 1.18 million current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
GDP per capita in Malawi, 1980–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gdp per capita in Malawi is 1.18 million current LCU, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 29.5% on the previous year and up 336.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp per capita in Malawi peaked at 1.18 million current LCU in 2025 and was at its lowest, 233.45 current LCU, in 1980.
Malawi ranks 45th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
GDP per capita in Malawi, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 233.45 current LCU | — |
| 1981 | 247.47 current LCU | +6.0% |
| 1982 | 267.4 current LCU | +8.1% |
| 1983 | 296.56 current LCU | +10.9% |
| 1984 | 338.86 current LCU | +14.3% |
| 1985 | 371.42 current LCU | +9.6% |
| 1986 | 405.47 current LCU | +9.2% |
| 1987 | 458.55 current LCU | +13.1% |
| 1988 | 587.62 current LCU | +28.1% |
| 1989 | 695.94 current LCU | +18.4% |
| 1990 | 782.45 current LCU | +12.4% |
| 1991 | 913.19 current LCU | +16.7% |
| 1992 | 931.06 current LCU | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 1,290 current LCU | +38.6% |
| 1994 | 1,478 current LCU | +14.6% |
| 1995 | 3,062 current LCU | +107.2% |
| 1996 | 4,909 current LCU | +60.3% |
| 1997 | 6,034 current LCU | +22.9% |
| 1998 | 7,335 current LCU | +21.5% |
| 1999 | 10,314 current LCU | +40.6% |
| 2000 | 13,351 current LCU | +29.4% |
| 2001 | 15,557 current LCU | +16.5% |
| 2002 | 32,837 current LCU | +111.1% |
| 2003 | 37,354 current LCU | +13.8% |
| 2004 | 44,071 current LCU | +18.0% |
| 2005 | 49,068 current LCU | +11.3% |
| 2006 | 59,958 current LCU | +22.2% |
| 2007 | 66,505 current LCU | +10.9% |
| 2008 | 77,856 current LCU | +17.1% |
| 2009 | 88,352 current LCU | +13.5% |
| 2010 | 102,801 current LCU | +16.4% |
| 2011 | 119,431 current LCU | +16.2% |
| 2012 | 139,116 current LCU | +16.5% |
| 2013 | 181,091 current LCU | +30.2% |
| 2014 | 224,988 current LCU | +24.2% |
| 2015 | 269,590 current LCU | +19.8% |
| 2016 | 323,466 current LCU | +20.0% |
| 2017 | 362,047 current LCU | +11.9% |
| 2018 | 390,482 current LCU | +7.9% |
| 2019 | 433,076 current LCU | +10.9% |
| 2020 | 451,596 current LCU | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 497,600 current LCU | +10.2% |
| 2022 | 573,476 current LCU | +15.2% |
| 2023 | 735,222 current LCU | +28.2% |
| 2024 | 908,048 current LCU | +23.5% |
| 2025 | 1.18 million current LCU | +29.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1.18 million current LCU is above the median for low income countries, which is 624,439 current LCU, 1.9× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1.18 million current LCU is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 625,756 current LCU, 1.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where GDP 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +111.1% | 15,557 current LCU | 32,837 current LCU |
| 1995 | +107.2% | 1,478 current LCU | 3,062 current LCU |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 390.27 current LCU | 233.45 current LCU | 695.94 current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,705 current LCU | 782.45 current LCU | 10,314 current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 48,491 current LCU | 13,351 current LCU | 88,352 current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 254,609 current LCU | 102,801 current LCU | 433,076 current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 723,602 current LCU | 451,596 current LCU | 1.18 million current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 56.42 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.005 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 2.61 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 257.97 million BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 20.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0228 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 11.91 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate -29.8 % change on previous year (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gdp per capita in Malawi?
- Gdp per capita in Malawi was 1.18 million current LCU in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest gdp per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 1.18 million current LCU in 2025.
- What is the lowest gdp per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 233.45 current LCU in 1980.
- How does Malawi rank for gdp per capita?
- Malawi ranks 45th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gdp per capita rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 336.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of GDP per capita (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Gross domestic product is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period. It can be measured in three different ways: using either the expenditure approach, the income approach, or the production approach. The core indicator has been divided by the general population to achieve a per capita estimate.This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.