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.
MalawiSouth Sudan
Watch it change on the mapChange since 2012, percentage points · IMF
Latest figures
% a year · IMF
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 1.7 2024 | 5.7 | — | 3 2031 |
| South Sudan | 41.4 2025 | -0.2 | 1 of 143 | 2.9 2031 |
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