Infant mortality (Our World) in Malawi
Malawi: Infant mortality (Our World) was 3.8 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Infant mortality in Malawi, 1961–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for infant mortality in Malawi is 3.8, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality in Malawi peaked at 16.59 in 1969 and was at its lowest, 3.8, in 2024.
Malawi ranks 29th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Infant mortality (Our World) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 16.38 | — |
| 1962 | 16.41 | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 16.45 | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 16.47 | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 16.52 | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 16.54 | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 16.57 | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 16.57 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 16.59 | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 16.51 | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 16.36 | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 16.14 | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 15.87 | -1.7% |
| 1974 | 15.54 | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 15.18 | -2.3% |
| 1976 | 14.81 | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 14.42 | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 14.01 | -2.9% |
| 1979 | 13.6 | -2.9% |
| 1980 | 13.25 | -2.5% |
| 1981 | 13 | -1.9% |
| 1982 | 12.89 | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 12.95 | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 13.17 | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 13.46 | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 13.71 | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 13.83 | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 13.84 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 13.67 | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 13.4 | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 13.05 | -2.6% |
| 1992 | 12.64 | -3.1% |
| 1993 | 12.26 | -3.0% |
| 1994 | 11.91 | -2.8% |
| 1995 | 11.58 | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 11.36 | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 11.17 | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 10.9 | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 10.45 | -4.1% |
| 2000 | 9.89 | -5.4% |
| 2001 | 13.85 | +40.0% |
| 2002 | 8.38 | -39.5% |
| 2003 | 7.64 | -8.8% |
| 2004 | 7.01 | -8.3% |
| 2005 | 6.51 | -7.1% |
| 2006 | 6.16 | -5.5% |
| 2007 | 5.91 | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 5.6 | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 5.37 | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 5.15 | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 4.8 | -6.8% |
| 2012 | 4.51 | -6.0% |
| 2013 | 4.26 | -5.6% |
| 2014 | 4.11 | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 3.97 | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 3.91 | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 3.85 | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 3.8 | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 3.83 | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 3.82 | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 3.83 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 3.86 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 3.84 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 3.8 | -1.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 3.8 is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.3, 88% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 3.8 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.72, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Infant mortality (Our World) in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +40.0% | 9.89 | 13.85 |
| 2002 | -39.5% | 13.85 | 8.38 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 16.5 | 16.38 | 16.59 | 9 |
| 1970s | 15.25 | 13.6 | 16.51 | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.38 | 12.89 | 13.84 | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.87 | 10.45 | 13.4 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.63 | 5.37 | 13.85 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.22 | 3.8 | 5.15 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.83 | 3.8 | 3.86 | 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 infant mortality in Malawi?
- Infant mortality in Malawi was 3.8 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 16.59 in 1969.
- What is the lowest infant mortality recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8 in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for infant mortality?
- Malawi ranks 29th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Infant mortality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).