Prevalence of undernourishment (%) in Malawi
Malawi: Prevalence of undernourishment (%) was 24.5% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
24.5%
Change on year
up 7.0%
World rank
19th
of 140 countries
All-time high
24.5%
in 2024
All-time low
13.9%
in 2011
Years of data
24
2001–2024
Prevalence of undernourishment in Malawi, 2001–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 24.5% for prevalence of undernourishment in 2024. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.0% on the previous year and up 58.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Malawi peaked at 24.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13.9%, in 2011.
That places Malawi 19th out of 140 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Prevalence of undernourishment (%) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 23.2% | — |
| 2002 | 23.4% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 24.1% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 23.2% | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 21.5% | -7.3% |
| 2006 | 19.3% | -10.2% |
| 2007 | 17.5% | -9.3% |
| 2008 | 15.9% | -9.1% |
| 2009 | 14.7% | -7.5% |
| 2010 | 14.1% | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 13.9% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 14.2% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 14.9% | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 15.5% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 16.3% | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 16.7% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 17.6% | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 18.3% | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 19.3% | +5.5% |
| 2020 | 19.9% | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 20.4% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 20.9% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 22.9% | +9.6% |
| 2024 | 24.5% | +7.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 24.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 22.5%, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 24.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.4%, 1.3× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20.3% | 14.7% | 24.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 16.1% | 13.9% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.7% | 19.9% | 24.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More development goals data for Malawi
- Red List Index 0.8845 (2025)
- Number of refugees per 100,000 population, by country of origin 2.52 (2025)
- Manufacturing value added per capita 70.35 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds 31 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds (not extinct) 31 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds with unknown risk status 31 (2025)
- Number of local breeds with unknown risk status 16 (2025)
- Number of local breeds (not extinct) 16 (2025)
- Number of local breeds kept in the country 17 (2025)
- Infant deaths 25,217 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Malawi?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Malawi was 24.5% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 24.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.9% in 2011.
- How does Malawi rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Malawi ranks 19th out of 140 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 58.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).