Malawi vs South Sudan
Malawi vs South Sudan: GDP growth
GDP growth: 1.7% a year in Malawi in 2024 and 41.4% a year in South Sudan in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Malawi, by 29.7 percentage points.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Malawi has been higher since 2024, when it overtook South Sudan.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Malawi at 3% a year and South Sudan at 2.9% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Malawi | South Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.5 | 41.4 |
| 2024 | 1.7 | -28.1 |
| 2023 | 1.9 | 5.3 |
| 2022 | 0.9 | -5.2 |
| 2021 | 4.6 | 5.3 |
| 2020 | 1 | -6.5 |
| 2019 | 5.4 | 0.9 |
| 2018 | 4.4 | -2.1 |
| 2017 | 4 | -5.8 |
| 2016 | 2.3 | -13.3 |
| 2015 | 3 | -0.2 |
| 2014 | 5.7 | 1.6 |
| 2013 | 5.2 | 27.3 |
| 2012 | 1.9 | -50.3 |
| 2011 | 4.9 | – |
| 2010 | 6.9 | – |
| 2009 | 8.3 | – |
| 2008 | 7.6 | – |
| 2007 | 9.6 | – |
| 2006 | 4.7 | – |
| 2005 | 3.3 | – |
| 2004 | 5.4 | – |
| 2003 | 5.7 | – |
| 2002 | 1.8 | – |
| 2001 | -4.1 | – |
| 2000 | 0.8 | – |
| 1999 | 3.5 | – |
| 1998 | 1.1 | – |
| 1997 | 6.6 | – |
| 1996 | 10 | – |
| 1995 | 13.8 | – |
| 1994 | -10.3 | – |
| 1993 | 9.7 | – |
| 1992 | -7.3 | – |
| 1991 | 8.7 | – |
| 1990 | 5.7 | – |
| 1989 | 1.3 | – |
| 1988 | 3.2 | – |
| 1987 | 1.6 | – |
| 1986 | -0.2 | – |
| 1985 | 4.6 | – |
| 1984 | 5.4 | – |
| 1983 | 3.7 | – |
| 1982 | 2.5 | – |
| 1981 | -5.2 | – |
| 1980 | 0.4 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Malawi | South Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.6 | 10.5 |
| 2027 | 2.3 | 3.9 |
| 2028 | 2.5 | 3.5 |
| 2029 | 2.7 | 3.3 |
| 2030 | 3 | 3.6 |
| 2031 | 3 | 2.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- 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 143 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 Sudan
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