What is birth rate vs. death rate in Malawi?

Birth rate vs. death rate in Malawi was 31.38 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in Malawi?

The highest recorded value was 54.38 births per 1,000 people in 1963.

What is the lowest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in Malawi?

The lowest recorded value was 31.38 births per 1,000 people in 2023.

How does Malawi rank for birth rate vs. death rate?

Malawi ranks 27th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.

Is birth rate vs. death rate rising or falling in Malawi?

Over the last ten years it is down 16.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this Malawi data come from?

The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate vs. death rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Birth rate vs. death rate in Malawi

Name: Birth rate vs. death rate in Malawi
Creator: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Malawi: Birth rate vs. death rate was 31.38 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)

31.38 births per 1,000 people

Change on year

down 1.1%

World rank

27th

of 236 countries

All-time high

54.38 births per 1,000 people

in 1963

All-time low

31.38 births per 1,000 people

in 2023

Years of data

1950–2023

Birth rate vs. death rate in Malawi, 1950–2023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.

Analysis

In 2023, birth rate vs. death rate in Malawi stood at 31.38 births per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 16.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, birth rate vs. death rate in Malawi peaked at 54.38 births per 1,000 people in 1963 and was at its lowest, 31.38 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.

Malawi ranks 27th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	51.36 births per 1,000 people	49.47 births per 1,000 people	53.38 births per 1,000 people	10
1960s	54.16 births per 1,000 people	53.73 births per 1,000 people	54.38 births per 1,000 people	10
1970s	52.97 births per 1,000 people	52.36 births per 1,000 people	53.96 births per 1,000 people	10
1980s	50.52 births per 1,000 people	48.45 births per 1,000 people	52.7 births per 1,000 people	10
1990s	47.2 births per 1,000 people	45.42 births per 1,000 people	48.44 births per 1,000 people	10
2000s	43.59 births per 1,000 people	41.74 births per 1,000 people	44.57 births per 1,000 people	10
2010s	36.25 births per 1,000 people	32.9 births per 1,000 people	40.69 births per 1,000 people	10
2020s	31.93 births per 1,000 people	31.38 births per 1,000 people	32.54 births per 1,000 people	4

Countries ranked near Malawi

24 Cote d'Ivoire 31.99 births per 1,000 people compare
25 Ethiopia 31.9 births per 1,000 people compare
26 Burkina Faso 31.64 births per 1,000 people compare
28 Liberia 30.96 births per 1,000 people compare
29 Congo 30.63 births per 1,000 people compare
30 Sierra Leone 30.6 births per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More health data for Malawi

Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 856.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
Number of infants who die before age 1 6,399 deaths (2100)
Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 193,780 (2025)
Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 198,476 (2025)
Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 200,046 (2025)
Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 204,753 (2025)
Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 207,829 (2025)
Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 212,512 (2025)

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is birth rate vs. death rate in Malawi?: Birth rate vs. death rate in Malawi was 31.38 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in Malawi?: The highest recorded value was 54.38 births per 1,000 people in 1963.
What is the lowest birth rate vs. death rate recorded in Malawi?: The lowest recorded value was 31.38 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
How does Malawi rank for birth rate vs. death rate?: Malawi ranks 27th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is birth rate vs. death rate rising or falling in Malawi?: Over the last ten years it is down 16.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?: The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate vs. death rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Birth rate vs. death rate
Unit: births per 1,000 people
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The number of live births in a year per 1,000 people in the population.