Malawi vs South Africa
Malawi vs South Africa: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 28.4% a year in Malawi and 3.2% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Malawi, by 25.2 percentage points, or 8.81 times that in South Africa.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Malawi has been higher since 2009, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, Malawi ranked 9 and South Africa ranked 79 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Malawi at 13% a year and South Africa at 3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Malawi | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28.4 | 3.2 |
| 2024 | 32.2 | 4.4 |
| 2023 | 28.8 | 5.9 |
| 2022 | 20.8 | 6.9 |
| 2021 | 9.3 | 4.6 |
| 2020 | 8.6 | 3.3 |
| 2019 | 9.4 | 4.1 |
| 2018 | 9.2 | 4.6 |
| 2017 | 11.5 | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 21.7 | 6.3 |
| 2015 | 21.9 | 4.6 |
| 2014 | 23.8 | 6.1 |
| 2013 | 28.3 | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 21.3 | 5.7 |
| 2011 | 7.6 | 5 |
| 2010 | 7.4 | 4.2 |
| 2009 | 8.4 | 7.2 |
| 2008 | 8.7 | 10.9 |
| 2007 | 7.9 | 7.1 |
| 2006 | 13.9 | 4.7 |
| 2005 | 15.5 | 3.4 |
| 2004 | 11.4 | 1.4 |
| 2003 | 9.6 | 5.9 |
| 2002 | 14.7 | 9.1 |
| 2001 | 22.7 | 5.7 |
| 2000 | 29.6 | 5.3 |
| 1999 | 44.8 | 5.1 |
| 1998 | 29.8 | 7 |
| 1997 | 9.1 | 8.6 |
| 1996 | 37.7 | 7.4 |
| 1995 | 83.2 | 8.8 |
| 1994 | 34.7 | 8.9 |
| 1993 | 22.8 | 9.6 |
| 1992 | 23.2 | 14 |
| 1991 | 8.2 | 15.1 |
| 1990 | 11.9 | 14.4 |
| 1989 | 12.5 | 14.8 |
| 1988 | 33.8 | 12.6 |
| 1987 | 25.1 | 16.4 |
| 1986 | 14.2 | 18.2 |
| 1985 | 10.6 | 16.5 |
| 1984 | 19.8 | 11.3 |
| 1983 | 13.8 | 12.7 |
| 1982 | 9.5 | 14 |
| 1981 | 12 | 15.9 |
| 1980 | 19.2 | 14.2 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Malawi | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21.9 | 4.4 |
| 2027 | 25 | 3.9 |
| 2028 | 20.6 | 3.3 |
| 2029 | 17.3 | 3 |
| 2030 | 15.7 | 3 |
| 2031 | 13 | 3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 179 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Malawi vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyMalawi: 67.4 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalawi: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalawi: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMalawi: 3.45% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalawi: 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalawi: 21.1 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalawi: 2.57% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalawi: 3.65 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalawi: 17.6% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageMalawi: 17.6 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalawi: 2.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalawi: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalawi: 1.15% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalawi: $128M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personMalawi: $7 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalawi: 3.8% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalawi: 15,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalawi: 0.07% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalawi: 0.2% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalawi: 2 million TIV in 2024South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsMalawi: 1 million TIV in 2000South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025