Malawi Population (LIVE)

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Malawi Population (1950 - 2024)
Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of Malawi is 21,890,425 as of Tuesday, December 3, 2024, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data1.
  • Malawi 2024 population is estimated at 21,655,286 people at mid year.
  • Malawi population is equivalent to 0.27% of the total world population.
  • Malawi ranks number 62 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
  • The population density in Malawi is 230 per Km2 (595 people per mi2).
  • The total land area is 94,280 Km2 (36,402 sq. miles).
  • 19.5 % of the population is urban (4,213,135 people in 2024).
  • The median age in Malawi is 17.8 years.
1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of Malawi (2024 and historical)

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationMalawi
Global Rank
2024 21,655,286 2.61 % 550,804 -1,507 17.8 3.59 230 19.5 % 4,213,135 0.27 % 8,161,972,572 62
2023 21,104,482 2.60 % 535,754 -5,811 17.6 3.65 224 19.1 % 4,029,578 0.26 % 8,091,734,930 62
2022 20,568,728 2.60 % 521,470 -5,231 17.3 3.72 218 18.7 % 3,855,794 0.26 % 8,021,407,192 62
2020 19,533,888 2.67 % 508,136 -2,655 16.9 3.88 207 18.1 % 3,534,836 0.25 % 7,887,001,292 62
2015 17,085,587 2.88 % 451,825 -6,471 16.0 4.38 181 16.8 % 2,866,700 0.23 % 7,470,491,872 66
2010 14,826,463 2.92 % 397,286 -9,327 15.7 5.26 157 15.9 % 2,357,581 0.21 % 7,021,732,148 67
2005 12,840,031 2.56 % 304,818 -31,462 15.7 5.85 136 15.3 % 1,962,982 0.19 % 6,586,970,132 69
2000 11,315,942 2.20 % 233,165-28,098 15.7 6.00 120 14.7 % 1,662,050 0.18 % 6,171,702,993 70
1995 10,150,117 1.24 % 120,853 -66,366 15.7 6.39 108 12.9 % 1,314,278 0.18 % 5,758,878,982 73
1990 9,545,852 4.61 % 385,069 71,111 16.2 6.74 101 11.4 % 1,090,992 0.18 % 5,327,803,110 72
1985 7,620,508 3.99 % 270,996 74,625 16.2 7.17 81 9.6 % 732,861 0.16 % 4,868,943,465 78
1980 6,265,529 3.45 % 195,632 52,294 16.2 7.52 66 8.9 % 557,771 0.14 % 4,447,606,236 81
1975 5,287,367 2.67 % 130,685 5,162 16.4 7.36 56 7.7 % 404,986 0.13 % 4,070,735,277 83
1970 4,633,944 2.50 % 107,557 -2,147 16.9 7.30 49 6.0 % 278,646 0.13 % 3,694,683,794 86
1965 4,096,157 2.46 % 93,605 0 17.4 7.13 43 4.9 % 199,188 0.12 % 3,334,533,703 90
1960 3,628,134 2.25 % 76,318 0 17.1 7.04 38 4.4 % 158,848 0.12 % 3,015,470,894 89
1955 3,246,543 1.93 % 59,249 0 16.8 6.84 34 3.9 % 127,621 0.12 % 2,740,213,792 90
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).
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Malawi Population Forecast

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationMalawi
Global Rank
2025 22,216,120 2.61 % 536,446 -5,628 18.1 3.53 236 19.8 % 4,407,124 0.27 % 8,231,613,070 62
2030 25,160,287 2.52 % 588,833 5,107 19.5 3.23 267 22.1 % 5,551,124 0.29 % 8,569,124,911 60
2035 28,213,795 2.32 % 610,702 4,609 20.9 3.01 299 24.9 % 7,021,730 0.32 % 8,885,210,181 60
2040 31,302,098 2.10 % 617,661 -7,699 22.1 2.82 332 28.1 % 8,808,675 0.34 % 9,177,190,203 59
2045 34,350,954 1.88 % 609,771 -3,123 23.3 2.67 364 31.8 % 10,916,620 0.36 % 9,439,639,668 56
2050 37,361,683 1.69 % 602,146   24.6 2.55 396 35.8 % 13,360,225 0.39 % 9,664,378,587 55
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Malawi Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of Malawi
Life Expectancy
67.56 years
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart
Infant Mortality
28.8
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart
Deaths under age 5
38.2
(per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in Malawi

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

# CITY NAME POPULATION
1 Lilongwe 1,115,815
2 Blantyre 902,588
3 Mzuzu 249,564
4 Zomba 118,440
5 Karonga 69,486
6 Kasungu 66,152
7 Mangochi 60,338
8 Salima 41,492
9 Liwonde 41,077
10 Balaka 40,950
11 Dedza 34,882
12 Nkhotakota 31,974
13 Mchinji 31,592
14 Nsanje 30,276
15 Mzimba 29,432
16 Mponela 27,681
17 Rumphi 25,216
18 Ntcheu 23,956
19 Mwanza 20,345
20 Chitipa 20,011
21 Monkey Bay 16,867
22 Mulanje 16,672
23 Nkhata Bay 16,099

See also

Notes

The Malawi Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Malawi delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of Malawi (1950 - 2023) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2023.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2023. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.


Yearly % Change: For 2023: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2023: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by Malawi in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.