Economy · Sub-Saharan Africa · Low income
Malawi: the economy in numbers
GDP is $14.9bn (2025), 148th of 211 in the world and 30th of 46 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GDP per capita is $672 (2025), 205th of 211 in the world and 41st of 46 in Sub-Saharan Africa. GDP per capita, PPP is $1,899 (2025), 195th of 199 in the world and 42nd of 46 in Sub-Saharan Africa.
GDP
Malawi
GDP per capita
MalawiSub-Saharan AfricaLow incomeWorld
13 indicators
Economy: Malawi in detail
Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Sub-Saharan Africa; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.
| Indicator | Latest | World rank | In region | ~2000 | ~2010 | ~2020 | 10-year change | Region | Income group | World | Since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDPGDP, current US$ | $14.9bn2025 | 148/211 | 30/46 | $2.5bn | $10.1bn | $11.8bn | +62%since 2015 | $2.2tn | $643bn | $118tn | |
| GDP per capitaGDP per capita, current US$ | $6722025 | 205/211 | 41/46 | $224 | $683 | $603 | +24%since 2015 | $1,673 | $837 | $14,406 | |
| GDP per capita, PPPGDP per capita, PPP (current international $) | $1,8992025 | 195/199 | 42/46 | $974 | $1,458 | $1,513 | +35%since 2015 | $5,786 | $2,712 | $25,704 | |
| GNI per capitaGNI per capita, Atlas method, US$ | $6002025 | 196/201 | 42/46 | $230 | $650 | $560 | +18%since 2015 | $1,610 | $811 | $14,244 | |
| GDP growthGDP growth, annual % | 1.9%2025 | 148/210 | 40/46 | 1.6% | 6.9% | 0.8% | −0.9 ppsince 2015 | 4.1% | 5.3% | 2.9% | |
| GDP per capita growthGDP per capita growth, annual % | -0.7%2025 | 187/210 | 42/46 | -0.8% | 3.8% | -1.8% | −0.7 ppsince 2015 | 1.6% | 2.5% | 2.0% | |
| Agriculture shareAgriculture, forestry and fishing, % of GDP | 30.0%2025 | 12/198 | 10/45 | 29.7% | 24.6% | 25.0% | +7.0 ppsince 2015 | 17.9% | 27.2% | 4.0% | |
| Industry shareIndustry incl. construction, % of GDP | 14.3%2025 | 165/201 | 42/45 | 19.0% | 17.9% | 19.1% | −3.3 ppsince 2015 | 25.1% | 28.4% | 25.0% | |
| Manufacturing shareManufacturing, value added, % of GDP | 11.0%2024 | 90/194 | 18/43 | · | · | 12.1% | — | 9.6% | 8.5% | 14.9% | |
| Services shareServices, % of GDP | 48.7%2025 | 154/201 | 23/45 | 45.6% | 51.2% | 50.3% | −4.5 ppsince 2015 | 50.2% | 40.5% | 63.3% | |
| InvestmentGross capital formation, % of GDP | 15.7%2025 | 152/175 | 33/43 | · | · | 16.7% | — | 23.1% | 20.7% | 26.3% | |
| SavingsGross savings, % of GDP | 3.9%2025 | 155/163 | 36/39 | · | · | 2.7% | — | 19.3% | 15.8% | 26.0% | |
| Resource rentsNatural resources rents, % of GDP | 4.2%2021 | 79/209 | 35/46 | 10.2% | 6.0% | 4.1% | −1.8 ppsince 2011 | 10.0% | 13.8% | 3.1% |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.
Better than ten years ago
- GDP+62%$14.9bn in 2025
- GDP per capita+24%$672 in 2025
- GDP per capita, PPP+35%$1,899 in 2025
- GNI per capita+18%$600 in 2025
Worse than ten years ago
- GDP growth−0.9 pp1.9% in 2025
- GDP per capita growth−0.7 pp-0.7% in 2025
Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).
neighbours
Malawi and its neighbours
Countries sharing a land border with Malawi. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.
| Indicator | Malawi | Tanzania | Mozambique | Zambia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP | $14.9bn2025 | $90.1bn2025 | $22.3bn2025 | $28.9bn2025 |
| GDP per capita | $6722025 | $1,3192025 | $6272025 | $1,3182025 |
| GDP per capita, PPP | $1,8992025 | $4,4712025 | $1,6982025 | $4,3792025 |
| GNI per capita | $6002025 | $1,2702025 | $5702025 | $1,2002025 |
| GDP growth | 1.9%2025 | 5.9%2025 | -0.5%2025 | 3.8%2025 |
| GDP per capita growth | -0.7%2025 | 2.9%2025 | -3.3%2025 | 0.9%2025 |
| Agriculture share | 30.0%2025 | 22.9%2025 | 25.6%2025 | 4.1%2025 |
| Industry share | 14.3%2025 | 29.8%2025 | 22.1%2025 | 35.3%2025 |
| Manufacturing share | 11.0%2024 | 8.4%2023 | 6.2%2025 | 8.7%2025 |