Out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare in Malawi
Malawi: Out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare was 15.04 current international $ in 2023. ▲ Rising
Out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare in Malawi, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in current international $.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 15.04 current international $ for out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 81.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare in Malawi peaked at 15.04 current international $ in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.64 current international $, in 2002.
That places Malawi 183rd out of 193 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare in Malawi, year by year
| Year | current international $ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.91 current international $ | — |
| 2001 | 4.5 current international $ | -8.4% |
| 2002 | 3.64 current international $ | -19.1% |
| 2003 | 3.8 current international $ | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 3.95 current international $ | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 4.05 current international $ | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 4.77 current international $ | +17.6% |
| 2007 | 7.59 current international $ | +59.2% |
| 2008 | 8.04 current international $ | +5.8% |
| 2009 | 8.86 current international $ | +10.3% |
| 2010 | 7.93 current international $ | -10.5% |
| 2011 | 7 current international $ | -11.7% |
| 2012 | 8.74 current international $ | +24.9% |
| 2013 | 8.31 current international $ | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 8.22 current international $ | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 9.99 current international $ | +21.5% |
| 2016 | 13.22 current international $ | +32.4% |
| 2017 | 13.29 current international $ | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 12.02 current international $ | -9.6% |
| 2019 | 10.92 current international $ | -9.1% |
| 2020 | 13.31 current international $ | +21.9% |
| 2021 | 14.63 current international $ | +9.9% |
| 2022 | 14.83 current international $ | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 15.04 current international $ | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.41 current international $ | 3.64 current international $ | 8.86 current international $ | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.96 current international $ | 7 current international $ | 13.29 current international $ | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.46 current international $ | 13.31 current international $ | 15.04 current international $ | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 180 Madagascar 17.23 current international $ compare
- 181 Sudan 16.21 current international $ compare
- 182 Somalia 16.03 current international $ compare
- 184 Mozambique 14.79 current international $ compare
- 185 Micronesia, Federated States of 12.43 current international $ compare
- 186 Vanuatu 11.84 current international $ 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 out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare in Malawi?
- Out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare in Malawi was 15.04 current international $ in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 15.04 current international $ in 2023.
- What is the lowest out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.64 current international $ in 2002.
- How does Malawi rank for out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare?
- Malawi ranks 183rd out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 81.0%. 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, WHO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Out-of-pocket spending per capita on healthcare. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Out-of-pocket spending is defined as direct payments made by individuals to health care providers at the time of service use. This data is adjusted for differences in living costs between countries, but it is not adjusted for inflation.