Annual precipitation in Malawi
Malawi: Annual precipitation was 1,549 millimeters in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
1,549 millimeters
Change on year
up 16.5%
World rank
48th
of 192 countries
All-time high
2,164 millimeters
in 1957
All-time low
977.54 millimeters
in 1954
Years of data
86
1940–2025
Annual precipitation in Malawi, 1940–2025
Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in millimeters.
Analysis
In 2025, annual precipitation in Malawi stood at 1,549 millimeters.
That represents a change of up 16.5% on the previous year and up 23.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual precipitation in Malawi peaked at 2,164 millimeters in 1957 and was at its lowest, 977.54 millimeters, in 1954.
Malawi ranks 48th of 192 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Annual precipitation in Malawi, year by year
| Year | millimeters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 1,486 millimeters | — |
| 1941 | 1,208 millimeters | -18.7% |
| 1942 | 1,075 millimeters | -11.0% |
| 1943 | 1,004 millimeters | -6.6% |
| 1944 | 1,307 millimeters | +30.1% |
| 1945 | 1,448 millimeters | +10.8% |
| 1946 | 1,423 millimeters | -1.7% |
| 1947 | 1,401 millimeters | -1.6% |
| 1948 | 1,489 millimeters | +6.3% |
| 1949 | 1,236 millimeters | -17.0% |
| 1950 | 1,567 millimeters | +26.7% |
| 1951 | 1,086 millimeters | -30.7% |
| 1952 | 1,442 millimeters | +32.7% |
| 1953 | 1,936 millimeters | +34.3% |
| 1954 | 977.54 millimeters | -49.5% |
| 1955 | 1,708 millimeters | +74.7% |
| 1956 | 1,556 millimeters | -8.9% |
| 1957 | 2,164 millimeters | +39.1% |
| 1958 | 1,596 millimeters | -26.3% |
| 1959 | 1,580 millimeters | -1.0% |
| 1960 | 1,230 millimeters | -22.2% |
| 1961 | 1,745 millimeters | +41.9% |
| 1962 | 1,462 millimeters | -16.2% |
| 1963 | 1,605 millimeters | +9.8% |
| 1964 | 1,152 millimeters | -28.2% |
| 1965 | 1,279 millimeters | +11.0% |
| 1966 | 1,234 millimeters | -3.5% |
| 1967 | 1,349 millimeters | +9.3% |
| 1968 | 1,302 millimeters | -3.5% |
| 1969 | 1,254 millimeters | -3.7% |
| 1970 | 1,330 millimeters | +6.0% |
| 1971 | 1,366 millimeters | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 1,464 millimeters | +7.1% |
| 1973 | 1,256 millimeters | -14.2% |
| 1974 | 1,674 millimeters | +33.2% |
| 1975 | 1,214 millimeters | -27.5% |
| 1976 | 1,420 millimeters | +16.9% |
| 1977 | 1,466 millimeters | +3.3% |
| 1978 | 1,882 millimeters | +28.4% |
| 1979 | 1,444 millimeters | -23.3% |
| 1980 | 1,439 millimeters | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 1,267 millimeters | -12.0% |
| 1982 | 1,579 millimeters | +24.7% |
| 1983 | 1,275 millimeters | -19.3% |
| 1984 | 1,472 millimeters | +15.5% |
| 1985 | 1,516 millimeters | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 1,665 millimeters | +9.8% |
| 1987 | 1,136 millimeters | -31.8% |
| 1988 | 1,343 millimeters | +18.2% |
| 1989 | 1,791 millimeters | +33.4% |
| 1990 | 1,130 millimeters | -36.9% |
| 1991 | 1,398 millimeters | +23.7% |
| 1992 | 1,026 millimeters | -26.6% |
| 1993 | 1,252 millimeters | +22.0% |
| 1994 | 1,155 millimeters | -7.8% |
| 1995 | 1,175 millimeters | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 1,336 millimeters | +13.7% |
| 1997 | 1,629 millimeters | +21.9% |
| 1998 | 1,172 millimeters | -28.1% |
| 1999 | 1,349 millimeters | +15.2% |
| 2000 | 1,536 millimeters | +13.8% |
| 2001 | 1,340 millimeters | -12.7% |
| 2002 | 1,373 millimeters | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 1,371 millimeters | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 1,454 millimeters | +6.0% |
| 2005 | 994.97 millimeters | -31.6% |
| 2006 | 1,461 millimeters | +46.8% |
| 2007 | 1,497 millimeters | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 1,356 millimeters | -9.4% |
| 2009 | 1,362 millimeters | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 1,324 millimeters | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 1,280 millimeters | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 1,381 millimeters | +7.9% |
| 2013 | 1,356 millimeters | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 1,351 millimeters | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 1,257 millimeters | -7.0% |
| 2016 | 1,212 millimeters | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 1,506 millimeters | +24.2% |
| 2018 | 1,450 millimeters | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 1,613 millimeters | +11.2% |
| 2020 | 1,340 millimeters | -16.9% |
| 2021 | 1,278 millimeters | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 1,649 millimeters | +29.0% |
| 2023 | 1,606 millimeters | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 1,330 millimeters | -17.2% |
| 2025 | 1,549 millimeters | +16.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1,549 millimeters is above the median for low income countries, which is 845.66 millimeters, 1.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1,549 millimeters is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 970.56 millimeters, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 1,308 millimeters | 1,004 millimeters | 1,489 millimeters | 10 |
| 1950s | 1,561 millimeters | 977.54 millimeters | 2,164 millimeters | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,361 millimeters | 1,152 millimeters | 1,745 millimeters | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,452 millimeters | 1,214 millimeters | 1,882 millimeters | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,448 millimeters | 1,136 millimeters | 1,791 millimeters | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,262 millimeters | 1,026 millimeters | 1,629 millimeters | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,375 millimeters | 994.97 millimeters | 1,536 millimeters | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,373 millimeters | 1,212 millimeters | 1,613 millimeters | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,459 millimeters | 1,278 millimeters | 1,649 millimeters | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 45 Belize 1,620 millimeters compare
- 46 Cameroon 1,611 millimeters compare
- 47 Brazil 1,609 millimeters compare
- 49 Switzerland 1,537 millimeters compare
- 50 Montenegro 1,525 millimeters compare
- 51 Cook Islands 1,504 millimeters compare
More climate change data for Malawi
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 415.04 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,106 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,605 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,501 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.06 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 89.31 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,185 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,819 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 366.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 10.64 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual precipitation in Malawi?
- Annual precipitation in Malawi was 1,549 millimeters in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual precipitation recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 2,164 millimeters in 1957.
- What is the lowest annual precipitation recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 977.54 millimeters in 1954.
- How does Malawi rank for annual precipitation?
- Malawi ranks 48th out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual precipitation rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual precipitation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total annual precipitation—rain and snow—calculated as the sum of daily averages, reported as the depth of water falling to Earth's surface, excluding fog and dew.