Gross domestic product (GDP), per capita in Malawi
Malawi: Gross domestic product (GDP), per capita was 1,623 international-$ in 2021 prices per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1,623 international-$ in 2021 prices per person
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
194th
of 198 countries
All-time high
1,688 international-$ in 2021 prices per person
in 2021
All-time low
975.85 international-$ in 2021 prices per person
in 1994
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Gross domestic product (GDP), per capita in Malawi, 1990–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices per person.
Analysis
In 2025, gross domestic product (gdp), per capita in Malawi stood at 1,623 international-$ in 2021 prices per person.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross domestic product (gdp), per capita in Malawi peaked at 1,688 international-$ in 2021 prices per person in 2021 and was at its lowest, 975.85 international-$ in 2021 prices per person, in 1994.
Malawi ranks 194th of 198 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Gross domestic product (GDP), per capita in Malawi, year by year
| Year | international-$ in 2021 prices per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,047 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | — |
| 1991 | 1,104 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +5.4% |
| 1992 | 994.03 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -10.0% |
| 1993 | 1,075 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +8.1% |
| 1994 | 975.85 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -9.2% |
| 1995 | 1,141 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +16.9% |
| 1996 | 1,200 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +5.2% |
| 1997 | 1,221 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 1,242 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 1,250 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 1,239 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 1,150 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -7.2% |
| 2002 | 1,141 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 1,176 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 1,208 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 1,215 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 1,237 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 1,318 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +6.6% |
| 2008 | 1,378 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +4.6% |
| 2009 | 1,450 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +5.2% |
| 2010 | 1,504 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 1,533 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 1,518 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 1,556 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 1,598 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 1,598 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1,594 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 1,613 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 1,639 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 1,687 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 1,656 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 1,688 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 1,660 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 1,649 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 1,634 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 1,623 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.7% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1,623 international-$ in 2021 prices per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 1,964 international-$ in 2021 prices per person, 83% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1,623 international-$ in 2021 prices per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3,722 international-$ in 2021 prices per person, 44% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,125 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 975.85 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,250 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,251 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,141 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,450 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,584 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,504 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,687 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,652 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,623 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,688 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 191 Liberia 1,693 international-$ in 2021 prices per person compare
- 192 Madagascar 1,668 international-$ in 2021 prices per person compare
- 193 Democratic Republic of Congo 1,641 international-$ in 2021 prices per person compare
- 195 Mozambique 1,451 international-$ in 2021 prices per person compare
- 196 Somalia 1,404 international-$ in 2021 prices per person compare
- 197 Central African Republic 1,123 international-$ in 2021 prices 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)
- 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$), annual growth rate -29.8 % change on previous year (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross domestic product (gdp), per capita in Malawi?
- Gross domestic product (gdp), per capita in Malawi was 1,623 international-$ in 2021 prices per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest gross domestic product (gdp), per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 1,688 international-$ in 2021 prices per person in 2021.
- What is the lowest gross domestic product (gdp), per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 975.85 international-$ in 2021 prices per person in 1994.
- How does Malawi rank for gross domestic product (gdp), per capita?
- Malawi ranks 194th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gross domestic product (gdp), per capita rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. 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 Gross domestic product (GDP), per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Gross domestic product (GDP) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Gross domestic product (GDP) ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Gross domestic product (GDP) Eurostat, OECD, IMF, and World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- 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
Gross domestic product (GDP) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.