Compare
Malawi vs South Sudan
How Malawi and South Sudan compare on 36 measures, from 1820 to 2025. The main differences:
- Life expectancy · In 2023, Malawi was higher: 67.4 years against 57.6 years
- GDP per person · In 2015, South Sudan was higher: $1,080 against $540
- Population · In 2023, Malawi was higher: 21.1 million people against 11.5 million people
- Military spending · In 2025, South Sudan was higher: 3.43% of GDP against 1.15% of GDP
- Electoral democracy · In 2025, Malawi was higher: 0.56 of 1 against 0.13 of 1
Every measure
Health
- Life expectancyMalawi: 67.4 years in 2023South Sudan: 57.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalawi: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024South Sudan: 9.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalawi: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Sudan: 63.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMalawi: 3.45% in 2017South Sudan: 3.7% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalawi: 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Sudan: 12 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalawi: 21.1 million people in 2023South Sudan: 11.5 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalawi: 2.57% a year in 2023South Sudan: 5.86% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalawi: 3.65 births per woman in 2023South Sudan: 3.86 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalawi: 17.6% in 2025South Sudan: 21.7% in 2025
- Median ageMalawi: 17.6 years in 2023South Sudan: 18 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalawi: 2.6% in 2023South Sudan: 2.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalawi: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Sudan: 39.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalawi: 1.15% of GDP in 2025South Sudan: 3.43% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalawi: $128M in 2025South Sudan: $103M in 2025
- Military spending per personMalawi: $7 in 2025South Sudan: $15 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalawi: 3.8% of government spending in 2025South Sudan: 18.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalawi: 15,000 people in 2020South Sudan: 53,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalawi: 0.07% of world capability in 2022South Sudan: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalawi: 0.2% of the labour force in 2020South Sudan: 1.18% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalawi: 2 million TIV in 2024South Sudan: 10 million TIV in 2022
Climate
Technology and environment
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Sources: UN, Gapminder and UN IGME, IHME, World Bank, IMF, UNESCO, Our World in Data, V-Dem, UCDP, SIPRI, IISS, Correlates of War, ERA5, CMIP6, ITU and FAO. Each measure’s page names its own and what it counts.
- Values are drawn on today’s borders. Years without a published value are left empty, never filled in.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time