Alcohol consumption per person in Malawi
Malawi: Alcohol consumption per person was 3.61 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
3.61 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age
Change on year
up 11.4%
World rank
107th
of 185 countries
All-time high
3.71 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age
in 2011
All-time low
2.89 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age
in 2004
Years of data
21
2000–2020
Alcohol consumption per person in Malawi, 2000–2020
Source: Global Health Observatory Data Repository - World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age.
Analysis
In 2020, alcohol consumption per person in Malawi stood at 3.61 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age.
That represents a change of up 11.4% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, alcohol consumption per person in Malawi peaked at 3.71 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age in 2011 and was at its lowest, 2.89 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age, in 2004.
Malawi ranks 107th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Alcohol consumption per person in Malawi, year by year
| Year | liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | — |
| 2001 | 3 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 2.93 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 2.9 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 2.89 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 3.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +8.3% |
| 2006 | 3.37 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +7.7% |
| 2007 | 3.55 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +5.3% |
| 2008 | 3.44 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -3.1% |
| 2009 | 3.46 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 3.57 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 3.71 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 3.71 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 3.68 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 3.58 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 3.37 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -5.9% |
| 2016 | 3.19 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -5.3% |
| 2017 | 3.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 3.24 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 3.24 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3.61 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | +11.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.17 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 2.89 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 3.55 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.44 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 3.13 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 3.71 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.61 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 3.61 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 3.61 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 104 Bahamas 3.65 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age compare
- 105 Kyrgyzstan 3.63 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age compare
- 106 Zambia 3.62 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age compare
- 108 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 3.59 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age compare
- 109 Fiji 3.58 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age compare
- 110 Costa Rica 3.4 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age 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)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth -23.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth -24.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 25.49 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 525.79 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 353,070 current LCU per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 1.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.1704 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (constant 2015 US$) 114.45 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is alcohol consumption per person in Malawi?
- Alcohol consumption per person in Malawi was 3.61 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age in 2020, according to Global Health Observatory Data Repository - World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest alcohol consumption per person recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 3.71 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age in 2011.
- What is the lowest alcohol consumption per person recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.89 liters of pure alcohol, projected estimates, 15+ years of age in 2004.
- How does Malawi rank for alcohol consumption per person?
- Malawi ranks 107th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is alcohol consumption per person rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Observatory Data Repository - World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Alcohol consumption per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Estimated consumption of alcohol is measured in liters of pure alcohol per person aged 15 or older, per year.