Population density in Malawi
Malawi: Population density was 223.85 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
223.85 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
61st
of 215 countries
All-time high
223.85 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
39.41 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Malawi, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, population density in Malawi stood at 223.85 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 30.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Malawi peaked at 223.85 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 39.41 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Malawi 61st out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Malawi, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 39.41 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 40.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 41.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 42.4 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1965 | 43.45 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1966 | 44.53 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1967 | 45.64 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1968 | 46.79 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1969 | 47.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 49.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1971 | 50.4 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 51.7 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 53.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1974 | 54.53 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 56.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 57.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1977 | 59.56 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 61.63 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 63.95 people per sq. km of land area | +3.8% |
| 1980 | 66.46 people per sq. km of land area | +3.9% |
| 1981 | 69.12 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 71.9 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 74.8 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 77.78 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 80.83 people per sq. km of land area | +3.9% |
| 1986 | 83.86 people per sq. km of land area | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 87.96 people per sq. km of land area | +4.9% |
| 1988 | 92.84 people per sq. km of land area | +5.5% |
| 1989 | 97.33 people per sq. km of land area | +4.8% |
| 1990 | 101.25 people per sq. km of land area | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 104.42 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 107.5 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 109.08 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 107.82 people per sq. km of land area | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 107.66 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 109.8 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 112.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 114.48 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 117.18 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 120.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 122.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 126.01 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 129.21 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 132.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 136.19 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 140 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 144 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 148.24 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 152.69 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 157.26 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 161.91 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 166.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 171.42 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 176.3 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 181.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 186.23 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 191.34 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 196.52 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 201.8 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 207.19 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 212.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 218.17 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 223.85 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 43.55 people per sq. km of land area | 39.41 people per sq. km of land area | 47.95 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 55.78 people per sq. km of land area | 49.15 people per sq. km of land area | 63.95 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 80.29 people per sq. km of land area | 66.46 people per sq. km of land area | 97.33 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 109.12 people per sq. km of land area | 101.25 people per sq. km of land area | 117.18 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 135.19 people per sq. km of land area | 120.03 people per sq. km of land area | 152.69 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 179.06 people per sq. km of land area | 157.26 people per sq. km of land area | 201.8 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 215.46 people per sq. km of land area | 207.19 people per sq. km of land area | 223.85 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 58 Dominican Republic 235.1 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 59 Qatar 231.16 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 60 Switzerland 224.98 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 62 North Korea 219.4 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 63 Marshall Islands 215.71 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 64 Antigua and Barbuda 212.08 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Malawi
- Population in the largest city 35.6% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 16.72 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.0627 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.39 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 4.49 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 13.54 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.39 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 34.7 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Malawi?
- Population density in Malawi was 223.85 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 223.85 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.41 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for population density?
- Malawi ranks 61st out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.