Death rate from malaria in Malawi
Malawi: Death rate from malaria was 37.36 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
37.36 deaths per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
26th
of 194 countries
All-time high
171.63 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2000
All-time low
36.27 deaths per 100,000 people
in 2019
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Death rate from malaria in Malawi, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 37.36 deaths per 100,000 people for death rate from malaria in 2021.
The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 41.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, death rate from malaria in Malawi peaked at 171.63 deaths per 100,000 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 36.27 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2019.
Malawi ranks 26th of 194 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Death rate from malaria in Malawi, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 171.63 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 160.06 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.7% |
| 2002 | 141.36 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.7% |
| 2003 | 115.87 deaths per 100,000 people | -18.0% |
| 2004 | 96.52 deaths per 100,000 people | -16.7% |
| 2005 | 87.68 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.2% |
| 2006 | 81.44 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.1% |
| 2007 | 77.38 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 76.81 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 75.27 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 71.18 deaths per 100,000 people | -5.4% |
| 2011 | 63.99 deaths per 100,000 people | -10.1% |
| 2012 | 56.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -11.9% |
| 2013 | 51.88 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.9% |
| 2014 | 46.73 deaths per 100,000 people | -9.9% |
| 2015 | 43.11 deaths per 100,000 people | -7.7% |
| 2016 | 40.53 deaths per 100,000 people | -6.0% |
| 2017 | 39.05 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 37.42 deaths per 100,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 36.27 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 38.14 deaths per 100,000 people | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 37.36 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 37.36 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 43.58 deaths per 100,000 people, 86% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 37.36 deaths per 100,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 38.05 deaths per 100,000 people, 98% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 108.4 deaths per 100,000 people | 75.27 deaths per 100,000 people | 171.63 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.65 deaths per 100,000 people | 36.27 deaths per 100,000 people | 71.18 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.75 deaths per 100,000 people | 37.36 deaths per 100,000 people | 38.14 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 23 Togo 40.1 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 24 Uganda 38.4 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 25 Congo 37.7 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 27 Ghana 34.93 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 28 Papua New Guinea 24.61 deaths per 100,000 people compare
- 29 Rwanda 24.44 deaths per 100,000 people compare
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- 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)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0714 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is death rate from malaria in Malawi?
- Death rate from malaria in Malawi was 37.36 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest death rate from malaria recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 171.63 deaths per 100,000 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest death rate from malaria recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.27 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019.
- How does Malawi rank for death rate from malaria?
- Malawi ranks 26th out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is death rate from malaria rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Death rate from malaria. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of deaths from malaria in both sexes, per 100,000 people.