Malawi
Urban population in Malawi
Urban population in Malawi: 3.5% in 1950 and 17.6% in 2025, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 17.6%
- Since 1950
- +14.1 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 224 of 229
- counting from the highest
- Projected, 2050
- 35%
- UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts it at 35% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Malawi |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 17.6 |
| 2024 | 17.3 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2022 | 16.7 |
| 2021 | 16.5 |
| 2020 | 16.3 |
| 2019 | 16.1 |
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2017 | 16 |
| 2016 | 15.9 |
| 2015 | 15.8 |
| 2014 | 15.8 |
| 2013 | 15.7 |
| 2012 | 15.6 |
| 2011 | 15.6 |
| 2010 | 15.5 |
| 2009 | 15.4 |
| 2008 | 15.3 |
| 2007 | 15.3 |
| 2006 | 15.2 |
| 2005 | 15.1 |
| 2004 | 15 |
| 2003 | 15 |
| 2002 | 14.9 |
| 2001 | 14.8 |
| 2000 | 14.7 |
| 1999 | 14.6 |
| 1998 | 14.4 |
| 1997 | 14.2 |
| 1996 | 14 |
| 1995 | 13.6 |
| 1994 | 13.3 |
| 1993 | 12.9 |
| 1992 | 12.5 |
| 1991 | 12 |
| 1990 | 11.6 |
| 1989 | 11.3 |
| 1988 | 10.9 |
| 1987 | 10.6 |
| 1986 | 10.4 |
| 1985 | 10.1 |
| 1984 | 9.9 |
| 1983 | 9.7 |
| 1982 | 9.5 |
| 1981 | 9.3 |
| 1980 | 9.1 |
| 1979 | 8.9 |
| 1978 | 8.7 |
| 1977 | 8.4 |
| 1976 | 8.1 |
| 1975 | 7.8 |
| 1974 | 7.4 |
| 1973 | 7 |
| 1972 | 6.5 |
| 1971 | 6.1 |
| 1970 | 5.7 |
| 1969 | 5.4 |
| 1968 | 5.1 |
| 1967 | 4.8 |
| 1966 | 4.7 |
| 1965 | 4.6 |
| 1964 | 4.5 |
| 1963 | 4.3 |
| 1962 | 4.2 |
| 1961 | 4.1 |
| 1960 | 4 |
| 1959 | 4 |
| 1958 | 3.9 |
| 1957 | 3.8 |
| 1956 | 3.7 |
| 1955 | 3.7 |
| 1954 | 3.6 |
| 1953 | 3.6 |
| 1952 | 3.6 |
| 1951 | 3.5 |
| 1950 | 3.5 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Malawi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 18 |
| 2027 | 18.3 |
| 2028 | 18.8 |
| 2029 | 19.2 |
| 2030 | 19.7 |
| 2031 | 20.2 |
| 2032 | 20.8 |
| 2033 | 21.3 |
| 2034 | 21.9 |
| 2035 | 22.6 |
| 2036 | 23.2 |
| 2037 | 23.9 |
| 2038 | 24.6 |
| 2039 | 25.3 |
| 2040 | 26.1 |
| 2041 | 26.9 |
| 2042 | 27.7 |
| 2043 | 28.5 |
| 2044 | 29.4 |
| 2045 | 30.3 |
| 2046 | 31.2 |
| 2047 | 32.1 |
| 2048 | 33 |
| 2049 | 34 |
| 2050 | 35 |
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 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 in numbers
Every measure for Malawi on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending1.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$128M in 2025
- Military spending per person$7 in 2025
- Military share of state spending3.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel15,000 people in 2020
- National power0.07% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.2% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports2 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exports1 million TIV in 2000