Trade (% of GDP) in Malawi
Malawi: Trade (% of GDP) was 39.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Trade in Malawi, 2017–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, trade in Malawi stood at 39.4%. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of down 6.0% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in Malawi peaked at 45.3% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 39.4%, in 2025.
Malawi ranks 172nd of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Trade (% of GDP) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 45.3% | — |
| 2018 | 43.6% | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 44.2% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 41.0% | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 44.6% | +8.7% |
| 2022 | 43.6% | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 42.4% | -2.7% |
| 2024 | 41.9% | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 39.4% | -6.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 39.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 51.6%, 76% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 39.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.9%, 66% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 44.4% | 43.6% | 45.3% | 3 |
| 2020s | 42.2% | 39.4% | 44.6% | 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 Malawi?
- Trade in Malawi was 39.4% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest trade recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 45.3% in 2017.
- What is the lowest trade recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.4% in 2025.
- How does Malawi rank for trade?
- Malawi ranks 172nd out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of Trade (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Trade is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services. 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.