Services, value added in Malawi
Malawi: Services, value added was 2.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Services, value added in Malawi, 1961–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in annual % growth.
Analysis
In 2025, services, value added in Malawi stood at 2.1%.
The figure is down 17.9% on the previous year and down 56.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, services, value added in Malawi peaked at 16.2% in 1971 and was at its lowest, -4.7%, in 1981.
That places Malawi 136th out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Services, value added in Malawi, year by year
| Year | annual % growth | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 7.6% | — |
| 1962 | 0.7% | -91.3% |
| 1963 | -1.4% | -308.1% |
| 1964 | 2.7% | -291.3% |
| 1965 | 13.6% | +411.7% |
| 1966 | 13.2% | -2.7% |
| 1967 | 7.3% | -45.0% |
| 1968 | -1.9% | -126.4% |
| 1969 | 5.9% | -405.9% |
| 1970 | 0.5% | -91.9% |
| 1971 | 16.2% | +3283.8% |
| 1972 | 6.2% | -61.6% |
| 1973 | 2.3% | -63.1% |
| 1974 | 7.2% | +211.9% |
| 1975 | 6.1% | -15.2% |
| 1976 | 5.0% | -17.9% |
| 1977 | 4.9% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 9.7% | +98.1% |
| 1979 | 4.4% | -54.9% |
| 1980 | 0.4% | -90.7% |
| 1981 | -4.7% | -1247.8% |
| 1982 | 1.5% | -131.2% |
| 1983 | 3.5% | +142.7% |
| 1984 | 7.4% | +110.9% |
| 1985 | 5.6% | -24.1% |
| 1986 | -0.1% | -101.0% |
| 1987 | 1.7% | -2936.6% |
| 1988 | 2.8% | +71.1% |
| 1989 | -1.7% | -160.3% |
| 1990 | 7.3% | -527.6% |
| 1991 | 8.8% | +20.5% |
| 1992 | -2.3% | -126.5% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | -110.4% |
| 1994 | -4.2% | -1839.1% |
| 1995 | 11.7% | -379.5% |
| 1996 | -3.0% | -125.4% |
| 1997 | 8.2% | -375.8% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | -95.3% |
| 1999 | -2.1% | -658.0% |
| 2000 | -0.3% | -84.6% |
| 2001 | -1.7% | +405.6% |
| 2002 | 1.8% | -208.0% |
| 2003 | 5.8% | +227.4% |
| 2004 | 7.0% | +20.5% |
| 2005 | 11.9% | +69.3% |
| 2006 | 8.9% | -25.2% |
| 2007 | 7.0% | -21.1% |
| 2008 | 9.2% | +31.5% |
| 2009 | 6.9% | -25.4% |
| 2010 | 6.4% | -7.9% |
| 2011 | 5.5% | -13.1% |
| 2012 | 4.4% | -19.6% |
| 2013 | 5.8% | +30.6% |
| 2014 | 5.8% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 4.9% | -15.7% |
| 2016 | 4.7% | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 4.1% | -13.8% |
| 2018 | 4.5% | +9.3% |
| 2019 | 6.0% | +34.8% |
| 2020 | -0.3% | -105.2% |
| 2021 | 4.3% | -1463.0% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | -56.5% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -14.3% |
| 2024 | 2.6% | +63.1% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | -17.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 2.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 5.2%, 41% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 2.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.8%, 45% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Services, value added 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | +3283.8% | 0.5% | 16.2% |
| 1987 | +2936.6% | -0.1% | 1.7% |
| 1994 | -1839.1% | 0.2% | -4.2% |
| 2021 | +1463.0% | -0.3% | 4.3% |
| 1981 | -1247.8% | 0.4% | -4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.3% | -1.9% | 13.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 6.3% | 0.5% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.7% | -4.7% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.5% | -4.2% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.7% | -1.7% | 11.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.2% | 4.1% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.0% | -0.3% | 4.3% | 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 services, value added in Malawi?
- Services, value added in Malawi was 2.1% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest services, value added recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 16.2% in 1971.
- What is the lowest services, value added recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.7% in 1981.
- How does Malawi rank for services, value added?
- Malawi ranks 136th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is services, value added rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.3%. 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 Offices (NSOs), published as part of Services, value added (annual % growth). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Services industries correspond to ISIC (Rev. 4) divisions 45-99 and includes wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, hotels and restaurants, transport, storage and communication, financial intermediation, real estate, renting and business activities, public administration and defence, compulsory social security, education, health and social work, other community, social and personal service activities, private households with employed persons, and extra-territorial organizations and bodies. Value added is the contribution to the economy by a producer or an industry or an institutional sector, which is estimated by the total value of output produced and deducting the total value of intermediate consumption of goods and services used to produce that output. This indicator denotes the percentage change over each previous year of the constant price (base year 2015) series in United States dollars.