Domestic private health expenditure in Malawi
Malawi: Domestic private health expenditure was 21.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Domestic private health expenditure in Malawi, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
In 2023, domestic private health expenditure in Malawi stood at 21.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.6% on the previous year and up 57.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, domestic private health expenditure in Malawi peaked at 22.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 12.9%, in 2004.
Malawi ranks 153rd of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Domestic private health expenditure in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 19.9% | — |
| 2001 | 22.1% | +10.6% |
| 2002 | 17.8% | -19.2% |
| 2003 | 18.7% | +5.0% |
| 2004 | 12.9% | -31.3% |
| 2005 | 13.1% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 18.2% | +39.2% |
| 2007 | 21.2% | +16.8% |
| 2008 | 20.4% | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 19.9% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 15.2% | -23.5% |
| 2011 | 13.9% | -8.5% |
| 2012 | 13.3% | -4.3% |
| 2013 | 13.7% | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 14.2% | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 17.8% | +25.4% |
| 2016 | 21.6% | +20.8% |
| 2017 | 17.5% | -18.9% |
| 2018 | 18.1% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 21.4% | +18.3% |
| 2020 | 22.6% | +5.4% |
| 2021 | 20.8% | -7.7% |
| 2022 | 22.7% | +9.1% |
| 2023 | 21.7% | -4.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 21.7% is below the median for low income countries, which is 48.0%, 45% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 21.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 45.0%, 48% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.4% | 12.9% | 22.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.7% | 13.3% | 21.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.9% | 20.8% | 22.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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 domestic private health expenditure in Malawi?
- Domestic private health expenditure in Malawi was 21.7% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest domestic private health expenditure recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 22.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest domestic private health expenditure recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.9% in 2004.
- How does Malawi rank for domestic private health expenditure?
- Malawi ranks 153rd out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is domestic private health expenditure rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Domestic private health expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Share of current health expenditures funded from domestic private sources. Domestic private sources include funds from households, corporations and non-profit organizations. Such expenditures can be either prepaid to voluntary health insurance or paid directly to healthcare providers.