Population and Demographics of Malawi
A very young population · 40.71% under age 15 in 2024
The 2024 population estimate places Malawi at 21.66 million people, and the current annual rate is +2.61% rather than a static population. Over the 24 years from 2000 to 2024, Malawi moved +91.4% in population size. By 2050, the medium path points to 37.36 million, equivalent to a +72.5% change from the 2024 estimate.
Population Over Time in Malawi
Over the 24 years from 2000 to 2024, Malawi added roughly 10.34 million people, leaving the 2024 total at 21.655M. The central 2050 projection is 37.362M, implying a +72.5% change from 2024 if that path is realized. The chart connects dated reference points only and should not be read as an annual interpolated series.
Age Structure and Sex Balance
The age distribution adds important context to Malawi's 2024 population total and points to a very young profile. Children under 15 make up 40.71% of the population, compared with 2.59% aged 65 or older, and 56.70% are 15 to 64. The age balance is weighted toward younger residents.
Population by broad age group
The 2024 World Bank sex-share indicator gives Malawi a female share of 51.2% and a male share of 48.8%. Females exceed males by 2.4 percentage points.
Female and male population share
Females made up 51.2% of the population in the World Bank's 2024 series, compared with 48.8% males.
What Is Shaping Population Change
Fertility is 3.6 in Malawi, while annual population change is +2.61% in 2024, while the 15-to-64 share is 56.70% and the under-15 share is 40.71%.
Historical change in Malawi totals +91.4% between 2000 and 2024, and the UN medium scenario changes the 2024 total by +72.5% through 2050; neither series alone identifies the separate contributions of births, deaths and migration.
2024 estimate for Malawi. The world comparison value is 2.25 children per woman.
Malawi vs. World
The world comparison highlights three contrasts for Malawi. Annual change is +2.61% versus +0.87% globally, fertility is 3.6 versus 2.25, and median age is 18 versus 30.6 years.
| Indicator | Malawi | World | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual population change | +2.61% | +0.87% | 2024 |
| Total fertility rate | 3.6 | 2.25 | 2024 |
| Median age | 18 | 30.6 | 2024 |
No national-only figure is inserted into this world comparison. The country and global values share the same 2024 table and source context.
Key Takeaways
The 2024 total is 21,655,286 people. Annual change in the same harmonized table is +2.61%.
The 2024 age structure is 40.71% under 15, 56.70% aged 15 to 64 and 2.59% aged 65 or older.
Females make up 51.2% of the 2024 population in the World Bank indicator, with males at 48.8%.
By 2050, the medium projection is 37.362M, differing from 2024 by roughly 15.71 million people.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Malawi?
The 2024 harmonized population estimate for Malawi is 21,655,286 people.
Is the population of Malawi growing or declining?
In the 2024 estimate, Malawi's population is growing, with annual change of +2.61%.
What percentage of the population of Malawi is aged 65 or older?
People aged 65 or older account for 2.59% of Malawi's 2024 population in the UN WPP-based broad age data.
What is the projected population of Malawi in 2050?
The UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium projection puts Malawi's 2050 population at 37,361,683.
What is the fertility rate in Malawi?
The 2024 harmonized fertility estimate for Malawi is 3.6 children per woman.
Sources & methodology
This profile uses United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 as the primary framework for globally comparable population, age, fertility and projection data. The World Bank is the primary source for the female population share. Some country values were accessed through secondary retrieval interfaces that republish or organize UN data; those interfaces are identified below as secondary and are not treated as the original statistical publishers.
View sources used for this page
Primary global framework for the population estimates and projections.
Harmonized 2024 country table based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized broad age shares based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized reference for the 2000 population point.
Harmonized 2050 country projection based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Used for the 2024 female share; the male share is calculated as the remainder to 100%.