Malawi vs Rwanda
Malawi vs Rwanda: Child mortality
Child mortality in 2024: 4.9 per 100 live births in Malawi and 3.8 per 100 live births in Rwanda, by Gapminder and UN IGME estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Malawi, by 1.1 per 100 live births, or 1.29 times that in Rwanda.
deaths before age 5 per 100 live births · Gapminder and UN IGME
What the numbers say
- Malawi has been higher since 2004, when it overtook Rwanda.
- In 2024, Malawi ranked 30 and Rwanda ranked 46 of 200 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024.
Every year
deaths before age 5 per 100 live births · Gapminder and UN IGME
| Year | Malawi | Rwanda | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| 2023 | 5 | 3.9 | 3.8 |
| 2022 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 2021 | 5 | 4.1 | 4 |
| 2020 | 5 | 4.2 | 3.9 |
| 2019 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 4 |
| 2018 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 4 |
| 2017 | 5.4 | 4.5 | 4.1 |
| 2016 | 5.6 | 4.6 | 4.2 |
| 2015 | 5.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 |
| 2014 | 6 | 4.9 | 4.4 |
| 2013 | 6.3 | 5.1 | 4.5 |
| 2012 | 6.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 |
| 2011 | 7.4 | 5.8 | 5 |
| 2010 | 8 | 6.3 | 5.1 |
| 2009 | 8.5 | 6.9 | 5.3 |
| 2008 | 9.1 | 7.6 | 5.5 |
| 2007 | 9.7 | 8.4 | 5.7 |
| 2006 | 10.3 | 9.3 | 6 |
| 2005 | 11 | 10.5 | 6.2 |
| 2004 | 11.9 | 11.8 | 6.6 |
| 2003 | 13 | 13.3 | 6.8 |
| 2002 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 7.1 |
| 2001 | 23.9 | 16.7 | 7.4 |
| 2000 | 17.1 | 18.4 | 7.7 |
| 1999 | 18.2 | 20.1 | 7.9 |
| 1998 | 19.1 | 21.4 | 8.3 |
| 1997 | 19.8 | 22.1 | 8.4 |
| 1996 | 20.3 | 22.2 | 8.6 |
| 1995 | 20.8 | 21.8 | 8.8 |
| 1994 | 21.5 | 38.9 | 8.9 |
| 1993 | 22.2 | 19.3 | 9.1 |
| 1992 | 22.9 | 17.6 | 9.2 |
| 1991 | 23.7 | 16 | 9.3 |
| 1990 | 24.4 | 15.1 | 9.4 |
| 1989 | 24.9 | 14.7 | 9.5 |
| 1988 | 25.3 | 14.8 | 10 |
| 1987 | 25.5 | 15.1 | 9.9 |
| 1986 | 25.4 | 15.6 | 10.3 |
| 1985 | 25.1 | 16.1 | 10.6 |
| 1984 | 24.8 | 16.7 | 10.9 |
| 1983 | 24.6 | 17.5 | 11.1 |
| 1982 | 24.6 | 18.7 | 11.2 |
| 1981 | 25 | 20.2 | 11.6 |
| 1980 | 25.7 | 21.9 | 11.9 |
| 1979 | 26.5 | 23.5 | 11.9 |
| 1978 | 27.5 | 24.6 | 12.3 |
| 1977 | 28.5 | 25.1 | 12.6 |
| 1976 | 29.5 | 25 | 12.8 |
| 1975 | 30.5 | 24.5 | 13.1 |
| 1974 | 31.4 | 23.9 | 13.3 |
| 1973 | 32.2 | 23.3 | 13.5 |
| 1972 | 33 | 22.8 | 13.7 |
| 1971 | 33.7 | 22.4 | 13.9 |
| 1970 | 34.2 | 22 | 14.2 |
| 1969 | 34.5 | 21.7 | 14.6 |
| 1968 | 34.7 | 21.4 | 15 |
| 1967 | 34.9 | 21.1 | 15.3 |
| 1966 | 35.1 | 20.9 | 15.1 |
| 1965 | 35.2 | 20.7 | 15.1 |
| 1964 | 35.4 | 20.7 | 15.7 |
| 1963 | 35.5 | 20.8 | 16.2 |
| 1962 | 35.7 | 21 | 17 |
| 1961 | 35.9 | 21.3 | 18.8 |
| 1960 | – | 21.8 | 20.2 |
| 1959 | – | 22.4 | 19.9 |
| 1958 | – | 23.1 | 19.7 |
| 1957 | – | 23.8 | 20.5 |
| 1956 | – | 24.6 | 21.3 |
| 1955 | – | 24.5 | 22.3 |
| 1954 | – | 25 | 22.8 |
| 1953 | – | – | 23.3 |
| 1952 | – | – | 23.9 |
| 1951 | – | – | 24.3 |
| 1950 | – | – | 24.7 |
| 1949 | – | – | 24.9 |
| 1948 | – | – | 24.9 |
| 1947 | – | – | 25.5 |
| 1946 | – | – | 25.8 |
| 1945 | – | – | 26.7 |
| 1944 | – | – | 27.4 |
| 1943 | – | – | 27.7 |
| 1942 | – | – | 27.9 |
| 1941 | – | – | 27.8 |
| 1940 | – | – | 27.9 |
| 1939 | – | – | 28 |
| 1938 | – | – | 28.7 |
| 1937 | – | – | 28.8 |
| 1936 | – | – | 29.1 |
| 1935 | – | – | 29.5 |
| 1934 | – | – | 30.7 |
| 1933 | – | – | 30.5 |
| 1932 | – | – | 30.7 |
| 1931 | – | – | 31.4 |
| 1930 | – | – | 31.6 |
| 1929 | – | – | 32 |
| 1928 | – | – | 31.9 |
| 1927 | – | – | 31.9 |
| 1926 | – | – | 32.7 |
| 1925 | – | – | 32.4 |
| 1924 | – | – | 33.1 |
| 1923 | – | – | 33.1 |
| 1922 | – | – | 33.2 |
| 1921 | – | – | 34.2 |
| 1920 | – | – | 34.4 |
| 1919 | – | – | 35.7 |
| 1918 | – | – | 37.6 |
| 1917 | – | – | 35.3 |
| 1916 | – | – | 35.1 |
| 1915 | – | – | 35.3 |
| 1914 | – | – | 35.4 |
| 1913 | – | – | 35.1 |
| 1912 | – | – | 35.5 |
| 1911 | – | – | 36 |
| 1910 | – | – | 36.4 |
| 1909 | – | – | 36.6 |
| 1908 | – | – | 37.2 |
| 1907 | – | – | 37.4 |
| 1906 | – | – | 38.1 |
| 1905 | – | – | 38.8 |
| 1904 | – | – | 38.9 |
| 1903 | – | – | 39.5 |
| 1902 | – | – | 40.1 |
| 1901 | – | – | 40.8 |
| 1900 | – | – | 40.9 |
| 1899 | – | – | 40.8 |
| 1898 | – | – | 41.2 |
| 1897 | – | – | 41 |
| 1896 | – | – | 41.1 |
| 1895 | – | – | 41.3 |
| 1894 | – | – | 41.2 |
| 1893 | – | – | 41.2 |
| 1892 | – | – | 41.7 |
| 1891 | – | – | 41.3 |
| 1890 | – | – | 41.5 |
| 1889 | – | – | 41.2 |
| 1888 | – | – | 41 |
| 1887 | – | – | 41.1 |
| 1886 | – | – | 41.1 |
| 1885 | – | – | 41.2 |
| 1884 | – | – | 41.1 |
| 1883 | – | – | 41.4 |
| 1882 | – | – | 41.5 |
| 1881 | – | – | 41.1 |
| 1880 | – | – | 41.6 |
| 1879 | – | – | 41.1 |
| 1878 | – | – | 41.6 |
| 1877 | – | – | 41.2 |
| 1876 | – | – | 41.4 |
| 1875 | – | – | 41.5 |
| 1874 | – | – | 41.7 |
| 1873 | – | – | 41.8 |
| 1872 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1871 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1870 | – | – | 41.9 |
| 1869 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1868 | – | – | 42.4 |
| 1867 | – | – | 42 |
| 1866 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1865 | – | – | 42.3 |
| 1864 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1863 | – | – | 42.5 |
| 1862 | – | – | 42.6 |
| 1861 | – | – | 42.9 |
| 1860 | – | – | 42.9 |
| 1859 | – | – | 43.7 |
| 1858 | – | – | 43.8 |
| 1857 | – | – | 44.2 |
| 1856 | – | – | 44.2 |
| 1855 | – | – | 44 |
| 1854 | – | – | 43.7 |
| 1853 | – | – | 43.2 |
| 1852 | – | – | 42.9 |
| 1851 | – | – | 42.4 |
| 1850 | – | – | 42 |
| 1849 | – | – | 42.3 |
| 1848 | – | – | 42.3 |
| 1847 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1846 | – | – | 42.4 |
| 1845 | – | – | 42 |
| 1844 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1843 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1842 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1841 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1840 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1839 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1838 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1837 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1836 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1835 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1834 | – | – | 42.3 |
| 1833 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1832 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1831 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1830 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1829 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1828 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1827 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1826 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1825 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1824 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1823 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1822 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1821 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1820 | – | – | 42.1 |
| 1819 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1818 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1817 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1816 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1815 | – | – | 42.2 |
| 1814 | – | – | 42.3 |
| 1813 | – | – | 42.3 |
| 1812 | – | – | 42.4 |
| 1811 | – | – | 42.4 |
| 1810 | – | – | 42.5 |
| 1809 | – | – | 42.5 |
| 1808 | – | – | 42.5 |
| 1807 | – | – | 42.5 |
| 1806 | – | – | 42.6 |
| 1805 | – | – | 42.6 |
| 1804 | – | – | 42.6 |
| 1803 | – | – | 42.6 |
| 1802 | – | – | 42.7 |
| 1801 | – | – | 42.7 |
| 1800 | – | – | 42.8 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of children who die before their fifth birthday.
- Source: Gapminder (2015) and UN IGME (2025), via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 200 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Malawi vs Rwanda
Health
- Life expectancyMalawi: 67.4 years in 2023Rwanda: 67.8 years in 2023
- Infant mortalityMalawi: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Rwanda: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMalawi: 3.45% in 2017Rwanda: 3.87% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalawi: 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Rwanda: 11 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalawi: 21.1 million people in 2023Rwanda: 14 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalawi: 2.57% a year in 2023Rwanda: 2.18% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalawi: 3.65 births per woman in 2023Rwanda: 3.7 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalawi: 17.6% in 2025Rwanda: 30.9% in 2025
- Median ageMalawi: 17.6 years in 2023Rwanda: 19.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalawi: 2.6% in 2023Rwanda: 3.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalawi: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Rwanda: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalawi: 1.15% of GDP in 2025Rwanda: 1.29% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalawi: $128M in 2025Rwanda: $194M in 2025
- Military spending per personMalawi: $7 in 2025Rwanda: $13 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalawi: 3.8% of government spending in 2025Rwanda: 4.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalawi: 15,000 people in 2020Rwanda: 35,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalawi: 0.07% of world capability in 2022Rwanda: 0.07% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalawi: 0.2% of the labour force in 2020Rwanda: 0.7% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalawi: 2 million TIV in 2024Rwanda: 37 million TIV in 2023