People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Malawi

Malawi: People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water was 27.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
27.9%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
97th
of 113 countries
All-time high
32.8%
in 2000
All-time low
27.9%
in 2022
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Malawi, 2000–2024

01020302000201220242000: 32.8 % of urban population2001: 32.5 % of urban population2002: 32.3 % of urban population2003: 32.1 % of urban population2004: 31.9 % of urban population2005: 31.6 % of urban population2006: 31.4 % of urban population2007: 31.2 % of urban population2008: 31 % of urban population2009: 30.8 % of urban population2010: 30.5 % of urban population2011: 30.3 % of urban population2012: 30.1 % of urban population2013: 29.9 % of urban population2014: 29.7 % of urban population2015: 29.4 % of urban population2016: 29.2 % of urban population2017: 29 % of urban population2018: 28.8 % of urban population2019: 28.6 % of urban population2020: 28.3 % of urban population2021: 28.1 % of urban population2022: 27.9 % of urban population2023: 27.9 % of urban population2024: 27.9 % of urban population

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of urban population.

Analysis

In 2024, people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Malawi stood at 27.9%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 5.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Malawi peaked at 32.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 27.9%, in 2022.

Malawi ranks 97th of 113 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water, urban (% of urban population) in Malawi, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of urban population Change
2000 32.8%
2001 32.5% -0.7%
2002 32.3% -0.7%
2003 32.1% -0.7%
2004 31.9% -0.7%
2005 31.6% -0.7%
2006 31.4% -0.7%
2007 31.2% -0.7%
2008 31.0% -0.7%
2009 30.8% -0.7%
2010 30.5% -0.7%
2011 30.3% -0.7%
2012 30.1% -0.7%
2013 29.9% -0.7%
2014 29.7% -0.7%
2015 29.4% -0.7%
2016 29.2% -0.7%
2017 29.0% -0.8%
2018 28.8% -0.8%
2019 28.6% -0.8%
2020 28.3% -0.8%
2021 28.1% -0.8%
2022 27.9% -0.8%
2023 27.9% +0.0%
2024 27.9% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 31.8% 30.8% 32.8% 10
2010s 29.6% 28.6% 30.5% 10
2020s 28.0% 27.9% 28.3% 5

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 94 Rwanda 29.4% compare
  2. 95 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 29.1% compare
  3. 96 Zambia 28.7% compare
  4. 98 Lesotho 27.8% compare
  5. 99 Haiti 27.6% compare
  6. 100 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 27.3% compare

See the full ranking of 144 places →

More health data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Malawi?
People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Malawi was 27.9% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the highest people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 32.8% in 2000.
What is the lowest people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 27.9% in 2022.
How does Malawi rank for people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water?
Malawi ranks 97th out of 113 countries with data for 2024.
Is people with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water, urban (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/people-with-basic-handwashing-facilities-including-soap-and-water-urban-percent-of-urban/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water, urban (% of urban population)
Unit
% of urban population
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
144 places, 2,061 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

The percentage of people living in households that have a handwashing facility with soap and water available on the premises. Handwashing facilities may be fixed or mobile and include a sink with tap water, buckets with taps, tippy-taps, and jugs or basins designated for handwashing. Soap includes bar soap, liquid soap, powder detergent, and soapy water but does not include ash, soil, sand or other handwashing agents.