Total number of malaria cases in Africa (WHO region)
Africa (WHO region): Total number of malaria cases was 174.96 million in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
174.96 million
Change on year
up 3.9%
Rank
2nd
of 7 groups
All-time high
174.96 million
in 2021
All-time low
142.47 million
in 2015
Years of data
7
2015–2021
Total number of malaria cases in Africa (WHO region), 2015–2021
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2021, total number of malaria cases in Africa (WHO region) stood at 174.96 million. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.9% on the previous year and up 22.8% over ten years.
Total number of malaria cases in Africa (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 142.47 million | — |
| 2016 | 160.85 million | +12.9% |
| 2017 | 164.22 million | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 158.00 million | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 168.28 million | +6.5% |
| 2020 | 168.37 million | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 174.96 million | +3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 158.76 million | 142.47 million | 168.28 million | 5 |
| 2020s | 171.66 million | 168.37 million | 174.96 million | 2 |
Countries ranked near Africa (WHO region)
- 1 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 31.93 million compare
- 2 Nigeria 24.05 million compare
- 3 Uganda 13.30 million compare
- 4 Angola 11.96 million compare
- 5 Mozambique 11.62 million compare
More health data for Africa (WHO region)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 12,202 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,578 (2025)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1,654 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 179,400 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,261 (2025)
- Number of under-five deaths, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of neonatal deaths, annual growth rate -0.0365 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8695 % change on previous year (2024)
- Measles - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -8.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 160.28 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total number of malaria cases in Africa (WHO region)?
- Total number of malaria cases in Africa (WHO region) was 174.96 million in 2021, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest total number of malaria cases recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 174.96 million in 2021.
- What is the lowest total number of malaria cases recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 142.47 million in 2015.
- How does Africa (WHO region) rank for total number of malaria cases?
- Africa (WHO region) ranks 2nd out of 7 groups with data for 2021.
- Is total number of malaria cases rising or falling in Africa (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa (WHO region) data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Total number of malaria cases (presumed + confirmed cases). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).