Malawi vs Zimbabwe
Malawi vs Zimbabwe: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 96.6% of GDP in Malawi and 38% of GDP in Zimbabwe, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Malawi, by 58.6 percentage points, or 2.54 times that in Zimbabwe.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Malawi has been higher since 2021, when it overtook Zimbabwe.
- In 2025, Malawi ranked 20 and Zimbabwe ranked 111 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Malawi at 67.5% of GDP and Zimbabwe at 25.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Malawi | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 96.6 | 38 |
| 2024 | 86.6 | 70.4 |
| 2023 | 84.5 | 76.1 |
| 2022 | 75.7 | 66.8 |
| 2021 | 66.6 | 39.9 |
| 2020 | 53.9 | 56.8 |
| 2019 | 41.2 | 53.9 |
| 2018 | 40.8 | 33 |
| 2017 | 40 | 49 |
| 2016 | 37.1 | 35.1 |
| 2015 | 35.5 | 34.1 |
| 2014 | 33.5 | 29.2 |
| 2013 | 35.4 | 26.4 |
| 2012 | 28.6 | 27.2 |
| 2011 | 20 | 30 |
| 2010 | 19.3 | 33.2 |
| 2009 | 23.5 | 39.7 |
| 2008 | 23.5 | 41.3 |
| 2007 | 19 | 30.2 |
| 2006 | 17.9 | 26.7 |
| 2005 | 70.9 | 22.4 |
| 2004 | 74.7 | – |
| 2003 | 84.7 | – |
| 2002 | 101.5 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Malawi | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 78 | 33.5 |
| 2027 | 75 | 30.6 |
| 2028 | 71.8 | 30.2 |
| 2029 | 69.6 | 28.2 |
| 2030 | 68.3 | 26.7 |
| 2031 | 67.5 | 25.7 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- 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 149 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 Zimbabwe
Health
- Life expectancyMalawi: 67.4 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 62.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalawi: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024Zimbabwe: 6.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalawi: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zimbabwe: 33.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterMalawi: 17.8% in 2022Zimbabwe: 26.5% in 2022
- DepressionMalawi: 3.45% in 2017Zimbabwe: 3.19% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalawi: 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Zimbabwe: 26.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalawi: 21.1 million people in 2023Zimbabwe: 16.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalawi: 2.57% a year in 2023Zimbabwe: 1.68% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalawi: 3.65 births per woman in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalawi: 17.6% in 2025Zimbabwe: 40.5% in 2025
- Median ageMalawi: 17.6 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalawi: 2.6% in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalawi: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Zimbabwe: -6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalawi: 1.15% of GDP in 2025Zimbabwe: 0.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalawi: $128M in 2025Zimbabwe: $134M in 2025
- Military spending per personMalawi: $7 in 2025Zimbabwe: $10 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalawi: 3.8% of government spending in 2025Zimbabwe: 5.3% of government spending in 2005
- Armed forces personnelMalawi: 15,000 people in 2020Zimbabwe: 51,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalawi: 0.07% of world capability in 2022Zimbabwe: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalawi: 0.2% of the labour force in 2020Zimbabwe: 0.88% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalawi: 2 million TIV in 2024Zimbabwe: 20 million TIV in 2023
- Arms exportsMalawi: 1 million TIV in 2000Zimbabwe: 4 million TIV in 2001