Number of child deaths in Malawi
Malawi: Number of child deaths was 32,177 deaths in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
32,177 deaths
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
33rd
of 199 countries
All-time high
121,200 deaths
in 2001
All-time low
31,391 deaths
in 2020
Years of data
59
1966–2024
Number of child deaths in Malawi, 1966–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2024, number of child deaths in Malawi stood at 32,177 deaths.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of child deaths in Malawi peaked at 121,200 deaths in 2001 and was at its lowest, 31,391 deaths, in 2020.
Malawi ranks 33rd of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 59 years of available data.
Number of child deaths in Malawi, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 75,250 deaths | — |
| 1967 | 76,843 deaths | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 78,345 deaths | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 79,819 deaths | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 80,823 deaths | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 81,328 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 81,408 deaths | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 81,160 deaths | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 80,596 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1975 | 79,932 deaths | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 79,302 deaths | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 78,636 deaths | -0.8% |
| 1978 | 78,055 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 77,714 deaths | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 78,071 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 78,963 deaths | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 80,634 deaths | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 83,316 deaths | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 86,922 deaths | +4.3% |
| 1985 | 91,014 deaths | +4.7% |
| 1986 | 94,767 deaths | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 97,492 deaths | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 100,255 deaths | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 102,614 deaths | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 103,996 deaths | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 104,631 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 104,445 deaths | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 104,030 deaths | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 102,477 deaths | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 98,825 deaths | -3.6% |
| 1996 | 96,031 deaths | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 94,178 deaths | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 91,828 deaths | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 88,242 deaths | -3.9% |
| 2000 | 83,418 deaths | -5.5% |
| 2001 | 121,200 deaths | +45.3% |
| 2002 | 70,801 deaths | -41.6% |
| 2003 | 65,841 deaths | -7.0% |
| 2004 | 61,618 deaths | -6.4% |
| 2005 | 58,540 deaths | -5.0% |
| 2006 | 56,480 deaths | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 54,603 deaths | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 52,315 deaths | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 49,850 deaths | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 47,352 deaths | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 44,062 deaths | -6.9% |
| 2012 | 40,615 deaths | -7.8% |
| 2013 | 37,789 deaths | -7.0% |
| 2014 | 36,185 deaths | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 34,514 deaths | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 33,483 deaths | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 32,351 deaths | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 31,555 deaths | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 31,489 deaths | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 31,391 deaths | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 31,530 deaths | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 32,038 deaths | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 32,221 deaths | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 32,177 deaths | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 77,564 deaths | 75,250 deaths | 79,819 deaths | 4 |
| 1970s | 79,895 deaths | 77,714 deaths | 81,408 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 89,405 deaths | 78,071 deaths | 102,614 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 98,868 deaths | 88,242 deaths | 104,631 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 67,467 deaths | 49,850 deaths | 121,200 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 36,940 deaths | 31,489 deaths | 47,352 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 31,871 deaths | 31,391 deaths | 32,221 deaths | 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)
- 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)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 1.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.2005 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2007 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of child deaths in Malawi?
- Number of child deaths in Malawi was 32,177 deaths in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of child deaths recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 121,200 deaths in 2001.
- What is the lowest number of child deaths recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 31,391 deaths in 2020.
- How does Malawi rank for number of child deaths?
- Malawi ranks 33rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of child deaths rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of child deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged under 5 .