Trade in services (% of GDP) in Malawi
Malawi: Trade in services (% of GDP) was 11.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Trade in services in Malawi, 1980–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, trade in services in Malawi stood at 11.0%.
The figure is down 9.5% on the previous year and up 149.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in services in Malawi peaked at 14.0% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 2011.
Malawi ranks 158th of 200 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 46 years of available data.
Trade in services (% of GDP) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 11.7% | — |
| 1981 | 10.6% | -9.5% |
| 1982 | 8.8% | -16.9% |
| 1983 | 8.8% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 9.6% | +9.1% |
| 1985 | 10.3% | +7.1% |
| 1986 | 8.7% | -14.9% |
| 1987 | 10.0% | +14.3% |
| 1988 | 11.8% | +17.8% |
| 1989 | 11.3% | -3.9% |
| 1990 | 11.1% | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 12.3% | +10.5% |
| 1992 | 14.0% | +13.9% |
| 1993 | 9.6% | -31.4% |
| 1994 | 10.1% | +5.0% |
| 1995 | 8.6% | -14.6% |
| 1996 | 6.7% | -22.4% |
| 1997 | 6.7% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 7.6% | +13.8% |
| 1999 | 9.1% | +19.4% |
| 2000 | 7.9% | -12.3% |
| 2001 | 8.6% | +8.5% |
| 2002 | 5.3% | -38.1% |
| 2003 | 4.3% | -19.8% |
| 2004 | 4.0% | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 4.3% | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 3.8% | -9.7% |
| 2007 | 3.5% | -8.7% |
| 2008 | 3.4% | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 3.4% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 3.2% | -7.7% |
| 2011 | 2.9% | -8.7% |
| 2012 | 3.8% | +31.4% |
| 2013 | 4.4% | +16.9% |
| 2014 | 4.3% | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 4.6% | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 6.3% | +37.1% |
| 2018 | 6.0% | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 7.5% | +24.6% |
| 2020 | 8.7% | +16.2% |
| 2021 | 8.5% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 11.0% | +28.3% |
| 2023 | 11.2% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 12.2% | +9.1% |
| 2025 | 11.0% | -9.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 11.0% is below the median for low income countries, which is 11.3%, 97% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 11.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.7%, 87% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.2% | 8.7% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.6% | 6.7% | 14.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.9% | 3.4% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.7% | 2.9% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.4% | 8.5% | 12.2% | 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)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -12.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 0.0151 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -16.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 0.0111 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0125 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in services in Malawi?
- Trade in services in Malawi was 11.0% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest trade in services recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 14.0% in 1992.
- What is the lowest trade in services recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 2011.
- How does Malawi rank for trade in services?
- Malawi ranks 158th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade in services rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 149.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Trade in services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total trade in services includes services provided by residents to non-residents plus services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.