Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (Fertility World Population) in Malawi
Malawi: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (Fertility World Population) was 3.59 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
3.59 births per woman
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
41st
of 218 countries
All-time high
7.52 births per woman
in 1980
All-time low
3.59 births per woman
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility rate, total in Malawi, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 3.59 births per woman for fertility rate, total in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 21.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Malawi peaked at 7.52 births per woman in 1980 and was at its lowest, 3.59 births per woman, in 2024.
Malawi ranks 41st of 218 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (Fertility World Population) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.04 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 7.07 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 7.09 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 7.13 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 7.11 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 7.13 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 7.17 births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 7.21 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 7.26 births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 7.27 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 7.29 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 7.31 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 7.33 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 7.34 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 7.34 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 7.36 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 7.39 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 7.41 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 7.43 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 7.46 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 7.52 births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 7.49 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 7.45 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 7.36 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 7.26 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 7.17 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 7.07 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 6.97 births per woman | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 6.88 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1989 | 6.8 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 6.74 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 6.68 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 6.63 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 6.57 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 6.49 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 6.39 births per woman | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 6.29 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 6.23 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 6.21 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 6.12 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 6 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 5.94 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 5.9 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 5.88 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 5.86 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 5.85 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 5.8 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 5.72 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 5.61 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 5.45 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 5.26 births per woman | -3.5% |
| 2011 | 5.08 births per woman | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 4.9 births per woman | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 4.76 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 4.57 births per woman | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 4.38 births per woman | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 4.22 births per woman | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 4.11 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 4.02 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 3.95 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 3.88 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 3.79 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 3.72 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 3.65 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 3.59 births per woman | -1.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 3.59 births per woman is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.11 births per woman, 87% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 3.59 births per woman is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.91 births per woman, 92% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.15 births per woman | 7.04 births per woman | 7.27 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.37 births per woman | 7.29 births per woman | 7.46 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.2 births per woman | 6.8 births per woman | 7.52 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.43 births per woman | 6.12 births per woman | 6.74 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.8 births per woman | 5.45 births per woman | 6 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.53 births per woman | 3.95 births per woman | 5.26 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.73 births per woman | 3.59 births per woman | 3.88 births per woman | 5 |
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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 6,399 (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)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0718 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Malawi?
- Fertility rate, total in Malawi was 3.59 births per woman in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 7.52 births per woman in 1980.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.59 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for fertility rate, total?
- Malawi ranks 41st out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.