Gross domestic product (GDP), per capita in Malawi
Malawi: Gross domestic product (GDP), per capita was 1,748 international-$ in 2021 prices per person in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1,748 international-$ in 2021 prices per person
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
172nd
of 181 countries
All-time high
1,824 international-$ in 2021 prices per person
in 2021
All-time low
915.36 international-$ in 2021 prices per person
in 2001
Years of data
64
1960–2023
Gross domestic product (GDP), per capita in Malawi, 1960–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gross domestic product (gdp), per capita in Malawi is 1,748 international-$ in 2021 prices per person, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross domestic product (gdp), per capita in Malawi peaked at 1,824 international-$ in 2021 prices per person in 2021 and was at its lowest, 915.36 international-$ in 2021 prices per person, in 2001.
Malawi ranks 172nd of 181 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Gross domestic product (GDP), per capita in Malawi, year by year
| Year | international-$ in 2021 prices per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 973.36 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | — |
| 1961 | 973.34 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.0% |
| 1962 | 971.38 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 965.42 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 938.7 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -2.8% |
| 1965 | 1,061 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +13.0% |
| 1966 | 1,196 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +12.7% |
| 1967 | 1,203 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 1,201 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 1,258 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +4.8% |
| 1970 | 1,269 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 1,409 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +11.0% |
| 1972 | 1,508 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +7.1% |
| 1973 | 1,439 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -4.6% |
| 1974 | 1,493 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +3.7% |
| 1975 | 1,522 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 1,490 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -2.1% |
| 1977 | 1,456 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -2.3% |
| 1978 | 1,462 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 1,390 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -4.9% |
| 1980 | 1,375 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 1,374 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 1,389 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 1,441 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +3.8% |
| 1984 | 1,485 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 1,604 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +8.0% |
| 1986 | 1,447 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -9.8% |
| 1987 | 1,317 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -9.0% |
| 1988 | 1,196 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -9.2% |
| 1989 | 1,232 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 1,138 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -7.6% |
| 1991 | 1,180 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 1,015 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -14.0% |
| 1993 | 1,073 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +5.8% |
| 1994 | 1,266 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +18.0% |
| 1995 | 1,216 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -4.0% |
| 1996 | 1,149 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -5.5% |
| 1997 | 1,242 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +8.1% |
| 1998 | 1,039 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -16.3% |
| 1999 | 1,056 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 1,020 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 915.36 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -10.2% |
| 2002 | 1,084 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +18.4% |
| 2003 | 1,093 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 1,226 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +12.2% |
| 2005 | 1,278 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 1,305 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 1,536 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +17.8% |
| 2008 | 1,747 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +13.7% |
| 2009 | 1,287 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -26.3% |
| 2010 | 1,250 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 1,352 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +8.1% |
| 2012 | 1,292 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 1,475 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +14.2% |
| 2014 | 1,395 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 1,462 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +4.8% |
| 2016 | 1,432 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 1,492 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 1,478 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 1,586 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +7.3% |
| 2020 | 1,655 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 1,824 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | +10.2% |
| 2022 | 1,762 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 1,748 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | -0.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1,748 international-$ in 2021 prices per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 2,042 international-$ in 2021 prices per person, 86% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1,748 international-$ in 2021 prices per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3,431 international-$ in 2021 prices per person, 51% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,074 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 938.7 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,258 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,444 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,269 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,522 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,386 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,196 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,604 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,137 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,015 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,266 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,249 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 915.36 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,747 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,421 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,250 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,586 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,747 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,655 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 1,824 international-$ in 2021 prices per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 169 Lesotho 2,316 international-$ in 2021 prices per person compare
- 170 Chad 2,165 international-$ in 2021 prices per person compare
- 171 Niger 1,919 international-$ in 2021 prices per person compare
- 173 Liberia 1,666 international-$ in 2021 prices per person compare
- 174 Madagascar 1,606 international-$ in 2021 prices per person compare
- 175 Mozambique 1,543 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$), annual growth rate -29.8 % change on previous year (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross domestic product (gdp), per capita in Malawi?
- Gross domestic product (gdp), per capita in Malawi was 1,748 international-$ in 2021 prices per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest gross domestic product (gdp), per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 1,824 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 915.36 international-$ in 2021 prices per person in 2001.
- How does Malawi rank for gross domestic product (gdp), per capita?
- Malawi ranks 172nd out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross domestic product (gdp), per capita rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. 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 — 64 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) Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major 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.