Malawi vs Zambia
Malawi vs Zambia: Access to electricity
Access to electricity in 2024: 15.6% in Malawi and 53.6% in Zambia, by World Bank estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Zambia, by 38 percentage points, or 3.44 times that in Malawi.
% of people · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Zambia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1992.
- In 2024, Malawi ranked 211 and Zambia ranked 195 of 213 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 91.9% in 2024.
Every year
% of people · World Bank
| Year | Malawi | Zambia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 15.6 | 53.6 | 91.9 |
| 2023 | 15.6 | 51.1 | 91.6 |
| 2022 | 14 | 47.8 | 91.3 |
| 2021 | 14.2 | 46.7 | 91.3 |
| 2020 | 11.5 | 44.6 | 90.4 |
| 2019 | 11.2 | 43 | 90.1 |
| 2018 | 18 | 40.2 | 89.8 |
| 2017 | 12.7 | 40.3 | 88.9 |
| 2016 | 11 | 35.4 | 88.1 |
| 2015 | 10.8 | 31.1 | 86.9 |
| 2014 | 11.9 | 27.9 | 86.2 |
| 2013 | 9 | 30.1 | 85.7 |
| 2012 | 7.4 | 29.2 | 84.9 |
| 2011 | 7.6 | 28.3 | 84.5 |
| 2010 | 8.7 | 22 | 83.5 |
| 2009 | 8.3 | 26.6 | 82.9 |
| 2008 | 7.8 | 25.7 | 82.7 |
| 2007 | 7.4 | 18.5 | 82 |
| 2006 | 3.7 | 24.1 | 81.4 |
| 2005 | 6.6 | 23.3 | 80.7 |
| 2004 | 6.9 | 20.3 | 80 |
| 2003 | 6.2 | 18.5 | 80 |
| 2002 | 5.6 | 17.4 | 79.1 |
| 2001 | 5.2 | 20.2 | 78.7 |
| 2000 | 4.8 | 16.7 | 78.2 |
| 1999 | 4.3 | 18.5 | 74.5 |
| 1998 | 3.8 | 19 | 73.2 |
| 1997 | 3.4 | 17.1 | – |
| 1996 | 2.9 | 17.3 | – |
| 1995 | 2.5 | 15.7 | – |
| 1994 | 2 | 14.9 | – |
| 1993 | 1.6 | 14.2 | – |
| 1992 | 3.2 | 19.2 | – |
| 1991 | – | 12.8 | – |
| 1990 | – | 13.9 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people with access to electricity, from national surveys and the power industry.
- Source: Tracking SDG 7 (World Bank ESMAP), via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 213 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
- 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 Zambia
Health
- Life expectancyMalawi: 67.4 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalawi: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalawi: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMalawi: 3.45% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalawi: 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalawi: 21.1 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalawi: 2.57% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalawi: 3.65 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalawi: 17.6% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageMalawi: 17.6 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalawi: 2.6% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalawi: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalawi: 1.15% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalawi: $128M in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personMalawi: $7 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalawi: 3.8% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalawi: 15,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalawi: 0.07% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalawi: 0.2% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalawi: 2 million TIV in 2024Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsMalawi: 1 million TIV in 2000Zambia: 2 million TIV in 1990