Malawi Population (LIVE)

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Malawi Population (1950 - 2020)
Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of Malawi is 20,562,426 as of Sunday, May 28, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.
  • Malawi 2020 population is estimated at 19,129,952 people at mid year according to UN data.
  • Malawi population is equivalent to 0.25% of the total world population.
  • Malawi ranks number 62 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
  • The population density in Malawi is 203 per Km2 (526 people per mi2).
  • The total land area is 94,280 Km2 (36,402 sq. miles)
  • 18.5 % of the population is urban (3,534,836 people in 2020)
  • The median age in Malawi is 18.1 years.

Population of Malawi (2020 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
2020 19,129,952 2.69 % 501,205 -16,053 18.1 4.25 203 18.5 % 3,534,836 0.25 % 7,794,798,739 62
2019 18,628,747 2.68 % 485,530 -16,053 17.4 4.75 198 18.2 % 3,386,573 0.24 % 7,713,468,100 63
2018 18,143,217 2.68 % 473,021 -16,053 17.4 4.75 192 17.9 % 3,245,933 0.24 % 7,631,091,040 64
2017 17,670,196 2.70 % 464,935 -16,053 17.4 4.75 187 17.6 % 3,112,590 0.23 % 7,547,858,925 64
2016 17,205,261 2.75 % 459,958 -16,053 17.4 4.75 182 17.4 % 2,986,276 0.23 % 7,464,022,049 65
2015 16,745,303 2.87 % 441,138 -16,053 17.2 4.88 178 17.1 % 2,866,700 0.23 % 7,379,797,139 66
2010 14,539,612 2.86 % 382,732 -11,833 16.6 5.73 154 16.2 % 2,357,581 0.21 % 6,956,823,603 68
2005 12,625,952 2.52 % 295,439 -11,833 16.6 6.00 134 15.5 % 1,962,982 0.19 % 6,541,907,027 69
2000 11,148,758 2.52 % 260,869-11,833 16.9 6.20 118 14.9 % 1,662,050 0.18 % 6,143,493,823 69
1995 9,844,415 0.92 % 87,983 -172,379 17.4 6.50 104 13.4 % 1,314,278 0.17 % 5,744,212,979 76
1990 9,404,500 5.29 % 427,247 175,415 17.5 7.25 100 11.6 % 1,090,992 0.18 % 5,327,231,061 73
1985 7,268,267 3.06 % 203,565 0 16.8 7.60 77 10.1 % 732,861 0.15 % 4,870,921,740 81
1980 6,250,440 3.03 % 173,129 2,800 17.1 7.60 66 8.9 % 557,771 0.14 % 4,458,003,514 83
1975 5,384,795 2.74 % 136,203 -3,000 17.4 7.40 57 7.5 % 404,986 0.13 % 4,079,480,606 83
1970 4,703,782 2.61 % 113,864 0 17.9 7.20 50 5.9 % 278,646 0.13 % 3,700,437,046 85
1965 4,134,460 2.47 % 94,895 0 18.1 7.00 44 4.8 % 199,188 0.12 % 3,339,583,597 89
1960 3,659,984 2.28 % 77,887 0 18.0 6.90 39 4.3 % 158,848 0.12 % 3,034,949,748 88
1955 3,270,548 2.06 % 63,335 0 17.7 6.85 35 3.9 % 127,621 0.12 % 2,773,019,936 89
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).
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Malawi Population Forecast

-6,000
YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationMalawi
Global Rank
2020 19,129,952 2.70 % 476,930 -16,053 18.1 4.25 203 18.5 % 3,534,836 0.25 % 7,794,798,739 62
2025 21,857,472 2.70 % 545,504 -6,177 19.1 4.25 232 20.2 % 4,407,124 0.27 % 8,184,437,460 62
2030 24,849,440 2.60 % 598,394 -6,000 20.1 4.25 264 22.3 % 5,551,124 0.29 % 8,548,487,400 60
2035 28,022,273 2.43 % 634,567 -6,000 21.2 4.25 297 25.1 % 7,021,730 0.32 % 8,887,524,213 59
2040 31,317,322 2.25 % 659,010 -6,000 22.2 4.25 332 28.1 % 8,808,675 0.34 % 9,198,847,240 57
2045 34,703,793 2.07 % 677,294 -6,000 23.3 4.25 368 31.5 % 10,916,620 0.37 % 9,481,803,274 58
2050 38,142,973 1.91 % 687,836   24.4 4.25 405 35.0 % 13,360,225 0.39 % 9,735,033,990 54
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Malawi Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of Malawi
Life Expectancy
65.62 years
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart
Infant Mortality
32.6
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart
Deaths under age 5
43.7
(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 646,750
2 Blantyre 584,877
3 Mzuzu 175,345
4 Zomba 80,932
5 Kasungu 42,555
6 Mangochi 40,236
7 Karonga 34,207
8 Salima 30,052
9 Nkhotakota 24,865
10 Liwonde 22,469
11 Nsanje 21,774
12 Rumphi 20,727
13 Mzimba 19,308
14 Balaka 18,902
15 Mchinji 18,305
16 Mulanje 16,483
17 Dedza 15,608

See also

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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 - 2019) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2019.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2019. 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 2019 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.


Yearly % Change: For 2019: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2018 to June 30 2019). 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 2019: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2018 to June 30 2019). 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.