Urban population, annual growth rate in Malawi
Malawi: Urban population, annual growth rate was 4.53 % change on previous year in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population, annual growth rate in Malawi, 1961–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population, annual growth rate in Malawi is 4.53 % change on previous year, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 40.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, annual growth rate in Malawi peaked at 9.48 % change on previous year in 1971 and was at its lowest, 1.92 % change on previous year, in 1994.
That places Malawi 13th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Urban population, annual growth rate in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.78 % change on previous year | — |
| 1962 | 4.91 % change on previous year | +2.7% |
| 1963 | 5.02 % change on previous year | +2.2% |
| 1964 | 5.09 % change on previous year | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 5.12 % change on previous year | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 5.14 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 5.97 % change on previous year | +16.3% |
| 1968 | 7.5 % change on previous year | +25.7% |
| 1969 | 8.57 % change on previous year | +14.2% |
| 1970 | 9.19 % change on previous year | +7.3% |
| 1971 | 9.48 % change on previous year | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 9.47 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 9.24 % change on previous year | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 8.85 % change on previous year | -4.2% |
| 1975 | 8.32 % change on previous year | -5.9% |
| 1976 | 7.7 % change on previous year | -7.4% |
| 1977 | 7.06 % change on previous year | -8.3% |
| 1978 | 6.68 % change on previous year | -5.4% |
| 1979 | 6.57 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 6.45 % change on previous year | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 6.33 % change on previous year | -1.9% |
| 1982 | 6.23 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 6.17 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 6.13 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 6.13 % change on previous year | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 6.08 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 7.4 % change on previous year | +21.8% |
| 1988 | 8.4 % change on previous year | +13.5% |
| 1989 | 8.1 % change on previous year | -3.6% |
| 1990 | 7.54 % change on previous year | -6.8% |
| 1991 | 6.73 % change on previous year | -10.8% |
| 1992 | 6.53 % change on previous year | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 4.86 % change on previous year | -25.6% |
| 1994 | 1.92 % change on previous year | -60.6% |
| 1995 | 2.64 % change on previous year | +37.8% |
| 1996 | 4.43 % change on previous year | +67.8% |
| 1997 | 3.98 % change on previous year | -10.1% |
| 1998 | 3.58 % change on previous year | -10.2% |
| 1999 | 3.33 % change on previous year | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 3.25 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 2001 | 3.17 % change on previous year | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 3.12 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 3.11 % change on previous year | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 3.14 % change on previous year | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 3.21 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 3.28 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 3.35 % change on previous year | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 3.46 % change on previous year | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 3.52 % change on previous year | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 3.5 % change on previous year | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 3.45 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 3.4 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 3.35 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 3.3 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 3.23 % change on previous year | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 3.19 % change on previous year | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 3.16 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 3.08 % change on previous year | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 3.43 % change on previous year | +11.2% |
| 2020 | 3.67 % change on previous year | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 3.84 % change on previous year | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 4.01 % change on previous year | +4.5% |
| 2023 | 4.2 % change on previous year | +4.8% |
| 2024 | 4.38 % change on previous year | +4.3% |
| 2025 | 4.53 % change on previous year | +3.3% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population, annual growth rate in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +67.8% | 2.64 % change on previous year | 4.43 % change on previous year |
| 1994 | -60.6% | 4.86 % change on previous year | 1.92 % change on previous year |
| 1995 | +37.8% | 1.92 % change on previous year | 2.64 % change on previous year |
| 1968 | +25.7% | 5.97 % change on previous year | 7.5 % change on previous year |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.79 % change on previous year | 4.78 % change on previous year | 8.57 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1970s | 8.26 % change on previous year | 6.57 % change on previous year | 9.48 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.74 % change on previous year | 6.08 % change on previous year | 8.4 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.55 % change on previous year | 1.92 % change on previous year | 7.54 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.26 % change on previous year | 3.11 % change on previous year | 3.52 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.31 % change on previous year | 3.08 % change on previous year | 3.5 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.11 % change on previous year | 3.67 % change on previous year | 4.53 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 10 Mali 4.91 % change on previous year compare
- 11 Ethiopia 4.7 % change on previous year compare
- 12 Solomon Islands 4.54 % change on previous year compare
- 14 Central African Republic 4.43 % change on previous year compare
- 15 Somalia 4.38 % change on previous year compare
- 16 Burkina Faso 4.35 % change on previous year 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 urban population, annual growth rate in Malawi?
- Urban population, annual growth rate in Malawi was 4.53 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, annual growth rate recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 9.48 % change on previous year in 1971.
- What is the lowest urban population, annual growth rate recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.92 % change on previous year in 1994.
- How does Malawi rank for urban population, annual growth rate?
- Malawi ranks 13th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population, annual growth rate rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban population, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Urban population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.