Preterm birth in Malawi

Malawi: Preterm birth was 93,469 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
93,469
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
19th
of 102 countries
All-time high
93,469
in 2020
All-time low
87,501
in 2010
Years of data
11
2010–2020

Preterm birth in Malawi, 2010–2020

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k2010201520202010: 87.5k2011: 88.0k2012: 88.0k2013: 88.3k2014: 88.2k2015: 88.1k2016: 88.1k2017: 89.2k2018: 90.5k2019: 92.1k2020: 93.5k

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

In 2020, preterm birth in Malawi stood at 93,469. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.

The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 6.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, preterm birth in Malawi peaked at 93,469 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 87,501, in 2010.

Malawi ranks 19th of 102 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.

Preterm birth in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Preterm birth (number) in Malawi, 2010 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2010 87,501 —
2011 87,973 +0.5%
2012 87,983 +0.0%
2013 88,279 +0.3%
2014 88,237 -0.0%
2015 88,144 -0.1%
2016 88,109 -0.0%
2017 89,228 +1.3%
2018 90,532 +1.5%
2019 92,117 +1.8%
2020 93,469 +1.5%

Malawi compared with similar countries

  • Malawi's 93,469 is above the median for low income countries, which is 93,469, 1.0× the median. (7 countries reporting)
  • Malawi's 93,469 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 93,469, 1.0× the median. (17 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 88,810 87,501 92,117 10
2020s 93,469 93,469 93,469 1

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 16 Vietnam 127,855 compare
  2. 17 Kenya 127,500 compare
  3. 18 Cote d'Ivoire 107,547 compare
  4. 20 Iran 92,793 compare
  5. 21 Russia 86,193 compare
  6. 22 Mozambique 81,099 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More health data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is preterm birth in Malawi?
Preterm birth in Malawi was 93,469 in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest preterm birth recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 93,469 in 2020.
What is the lowest preterm birth recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 87,501 in 2010.
How does Malawi rank for preterm birth?
Malawi ranks 19th out of 102 countries with data for 2020.
Is preterm birth rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Preterm birth (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).

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Preterm birth in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/preterm-birth-number/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Preterm birth (number)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
120 places, 1,320 data points, 2010–2020
Last refreshed