Malawi vs Tanzania
Malawi vs Tanzania: Adult literacy
Adult literacy: 70.2% in Malawi in 2020 and 78.2% in Tanzania in 2022, by UNESCO estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Tanzania, by 12.1 percentage points, or 1.17 times that in Malawi.
% of adults · UNESCO
What the numbers say
- Tanzania has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2020.
- The world as a whole: 87% in 2020.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | Malawi | Tanzania | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | – | – | 87.7 |
| 2023 | – | – | 87.6 |
| 2022 | – | 78.2 | 87.4 |
| 2021 | – | – | 87.2 |
| 2020 | 70.2 | 82.2 | 87 |
| 2019 | – | – | 86.8 |
| 2018 | 76.7 | – | 86.8 |
| 2017 | 72.8 | – | 86.5 |
| 2016 | – | – | 86.3 |
| 2015 | – | 77.9 | 86 |
| 2014 | – | 79.9 | 85.6 |
| 2013 | – | – | 85.2 |
| 2012 | – | 78.1 | 84.9 |
| 2011 | – | – | 84.7 |
| 2010 | – | – | 84.4 |
| 2009 | – | – | 83.8 |
| 2008 | – | – | 83.5 |
| 2007 | – | – | 83.1 |
| 2006 | – | – | 82.5 |
| 2005 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2004 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | – | 82.2 |
| 2002 | – | 69.4 | 81.7 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | – | – | 81.1 |
| 1999 | – | – | 80.9 |
| 1998 | 64.1 | – | 80.5 |
| 1997 | – | – | 79.3 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1995 | – | – | 76.9 |
| 1994 | – | – | 76.4 |
| 1993 | – | – | 76 |
| 1992 | – | – | 75.5 |
| 1991 | – | – | 75.1 |
| 1990 | – | – | 74.6 |
| 1989 | – | – | 74.1 |
| 1988 | – | 59.1 | 73.6 |
| 1987 | 48.5 | – | 71.9 |
| 1986 | – | – | 71.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 70.7 |
| 1984 | – | – | 70.2 |
| 1983 | – | – | 69.5 |
| 1982 | – | – | 68.9 |
| 1981 | – | – | 68.4 |
| 1980 | – | – | 67.8 |
| 1979 | – | – | 67.2 |
| 1978 | – | – | 66.5 |
| 1977 | – | – | 65.9 |
| 1976 | – | – | 65.6 |
| 1975 | – | – | 65.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life.
- Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via the World Bank.
- 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 Tanzania
Health
- Life expectancyMalawi: 67.4 years in 2023Tanzania: 67 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalawi: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024Tanzania: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalawi: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Tanzania: 28.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterMalawi: 17.8% in 2022Tanzania: 11.3% in 2022
- DepressionMalawi: 3.45% in 2017Tanzania: 3.69% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalawi: 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Tanzania: 8.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalawi: 21.1 million people in 2023Tanzania: 66.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalawi: 2.57% a year in 2023Tanzania: 2.88% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalawi: 3.65 births per woman in 2023Tanzania: 4.61 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalawi: 17.6% in 2025Tanzania: 36.9% in 2025
- Median ageMalawi: 17.6 years in 2023Tanzania: 17.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalawi: 2.6% in 2023Tanzania: 3% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalawi: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Tanzania: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalawi: 1.15% of GDP in 2025Tanzania: 1.16% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalawi: $128M in 2025Tanzania: $983M in 2025
- Military spending per personMalawi: $7 in 2025Tanzania: $15 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalawi: 3.8% of government spending in 2025Tanzania: 5.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalawi: 15,000 people in 2020Tanzania: 28,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalawi: 0.07% of world capability in 2022Tanzania: 0.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalawi: 0.2% of the labour force in 2020Tanzania: 0.1% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalawi: 2 million TIV in 2024Tanzania: 4 million TIV in 2025