The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index in Malawi
Malawi: The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index was 52 in 2023. ▲ Rising
The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index in Malawi, 2000–2023
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index in Malawi stood at 52.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index in Malawi peaked at 55 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 20, in 2002.
That places Malawi 154th out of 195 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.
The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 25 | — |
| 2001 | 23 | -8.0% |
| 2002 | 20 | -13.0% |
| 2003 | 22 | +10.0% |
| 2004 | 23 | +4.5% |
| 2005 | 24 | +4.3% |
| 2006 | 33 | +37.5% |
| 2007 | 35 | +6.1% |
| 2008 | 38 | +8.6% |
| 2009 | 41 | +7.9% |
| 2010 | 41 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 40 | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 45 | +12.5% |
| 2013 | 46 | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 45 | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 45 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 50 | +11.1% |
| 2017 | 52 | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 54 | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 55 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 52 | -5.5% |
| 2021 | 55 | +5.8% |
| 2022 | 53 | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 52 | -1.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 52 is above the median for low income countries, which is 43, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 52 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 48, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28.4 | 20 | 41 | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.3 | 40 | 55 | 10 |
| 2020s | 53 | 52 | 55 | 4 |
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)
- 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 the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index in Malawi?
- The universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index in Malawi was 52 in 2023, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 55 in 2019.
- What is the lowest the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 20 in 2002.
- How does Malawi rank for the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index?
- Malawi ranks 154th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index. 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
The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index is measured on a scale from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) based on the average coverage of essential services including reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases and service capacity and access.