Inflation of consumer prices in Malawi
Malawi: Inflation of consumer prices was 28.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
28.4%
Change on year
down 11.8%
World rank
10th
of 190 countries
All-time high
83.3%
in 1995
All-time low
7.4%
in 2010
Years of data
45
1981–2025
Inflation of consumer prices in Malawi, 1981–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) International Financial Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 28.4% for inflation of consumer prices in 2025.
The figure is down 11.8% on the previous year and up 29.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, inflation of consumer prices in Malawi peaked at 83.3% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 7.4%, in 2010.
Malawi ranks 10th of 190 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Inflation of consumer prices in Malawi, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 11.8% | — |
| 1982 | 9.8% | -16.9% |
| 1983 | 13.5% | +37.5% |
| 1984 | 20.0% | +48.3% |
| 1985 | 10.5% | -47.5% |
| 1986 | 14.0% | +33.5% |
| 1987 | 25.2% | +79.1% |
| 1988 | 33.9% | +34.8% |
| 1989 | 12.4% | -63.3% |
| 1990 | 11.8% | -5.0% |
| 1991 | 12.6% | +6.7% |
| 1992 | 23.8% | +88.3% |
| 1993 | 22.8% | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 34.6% | +52.2% |
| 1995 | 83.3% | +140.5% |
| 1996 | 37.6% | -54.9% |
| 1997 | 9.1% | -75.7% |
| 1998 | 29.7% | +225.6% |
| 1999 | 44.8% | +50.6% |
| 2000 | 29.6% | -34.0% |
| 2001 | 22.7% | -23.3% |
| 2002 | 14.7% | -35.0% |
| 2003 | 9.6% | -35.0% |
| 2004 | 11.4% | +19.3% |
| 2005 | 15.4% | +34.8% |
| 2006 | 14.0% | -9.3% |
| 2007 | 8.0% | -43.1% |
| 2008 | 8.7% | +9.6% |
| 2009 | 8.4% | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 7.4% | -12.0% |
| 2011 | 7.6% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 21.3% | +179.0% |
| 2013 | 27.3% | +28.3% |
| 2014 | 23.8% | -12.8% |
| 2015 | 21.9% | -8.1% |
| 2016 | 21.7% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 11.5% | -46.8% |
| 2018 | 12.4% | +7.6% |
| 2019 | 9.4% | -24.6% |
| 2020 | 8.6% | -8.0% |
| 2021 | 9.3% | +8.2% |
| 2022 | 21.0% | +124.6% |
| 2023 | 28.8% | +37.4% |
| 2024 | 32.2% | +11.8% |
| 2025 | 28.4% | -11.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 28.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 6.7%, 4.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 28.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.5%, 8.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16.8% | 9.8% | 33.9% | 9 |
| 1990s | 31.0% | 9.1% | 83.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.3% | 8.0% | 29.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.4% | 7.4% | 27.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.4% | 8.6% | 32.2% | 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 inflation of consumer prices in Malawi?
- Inflation of consumer prices in Malawi was 28.4% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) International Financial Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest inflation of consumer prices recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 83.3% in 1995.
- What is the lowest inflation of consumer prices recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.4% in 2010.
- How does Malawi rank for inflation of consumer prices?
- Malawi ranks 10th out of 190 countries with data for 2025.
- Is inflation of consumer prices rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) International Financial Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Inflation of consumer prices. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual changes in the cost to the average consumer of acquiring a set basket of goods and services. This measure is used to track changes in living costs over time.