Youth mortality rate in Malawi
Malawi: Youth mortality rate was 5.93 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
5.93 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
33rd
of 199 countries
All-time high
29.25 deaths per 100 live births
in 1981
All-time low
5.93 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
44
1981–2024
Youth mortality rate in Malawi, 1981–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 5.93 deaths per 100 live births for youth mortality rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 44 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 20.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth mortality rate in Malawi peaked at 29.25 deaths per 100 live births in 1981 and was at its lowest, 5.93 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
Malawi ranks 33rd of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Youth mortality rate in Malawi, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 29.25 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1982 | 28.71 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 28.49 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 28.55 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 28.75 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 28.89 deaths per 100 live births | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 28.84 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 28.59 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 28.1 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 27.21 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1991 | 26.42 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 25.56 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1993 | 24.75 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 23.99 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 23.21 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 22.61 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 22.03 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 21.31 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 20.36 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 2000 | 19.16 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 2001 | 28.08 deaths per 100 live births | +46.5% |
| 2002 | 16.28 deaths per 100 live births | -42.0% |
| 2003 | 14.91 deaths per 100 live births | -8.4% |
| 2004 | 13.73 deaths per 100 live births | -7.9% |
| 2005 | 12.77 deaths per 100 live births | -7.0% |
| 2006 | 12.02 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 2007 | 11.39 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 10.76 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 2009 | 10.15 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 9.58 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 2011 | 8.93 deaths per 100 live births | -6.8% |
| 2012 | 8.28 deaths per 100 live births | -7.3% |
| 2013 | 7.74 deaths per 100 live births | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 7.41 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 7.11 deaths per 100 live births | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 6.91 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 6.67 deaths per 100 live births | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 6.45 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 6.34 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 6.22 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 6.14 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 6.11 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 6.04 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 5.93 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 5.93 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for low income countries, which is 7.42 deaths per 100 live births, 80% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 5.93 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.18 deaths per 100 live births, 96% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Youth mortality rate in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +46.5% | 19.16 deaths per 100 live births | 28.08 deaths per 100 live births |
| 2002 | -42.0% | 28.08 deaths per 100 live births | 16.28 deaths per 100 live births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 28.69 deaths per 100 live births | 28.1 deaths per 100 live births | 29.25 deaths per 100 live births | 9 |
| 1990s | 23.75 deaths per 100 live births | 20.36 deaths per 100 live births | 27.21 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.93 deaths per 100 live births | 10.15 deaths per 100 live births | 28.08 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.54 deaths per 100 live births | 6.34 deaths per 100 live births | 9.58 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.09 deaths per 100 live births | 5.93 deaths per 100 live births | 6.22 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 30 Angola 5.97 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 31 Djibouti 5.95 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 32 Uganda 5.93 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 34 Zambia 5.72 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 35 Eswatini 5.61 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 36 East Timor 5.61 deaths per 100 live births 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)
- 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)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0718 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth mortality rate in Malawi?
- Youth mortality rate in Malawi was 5.93 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest youth mortality rate recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 29.25 deaths per 100 live births in 1981.
- What is the lowest youth mortality rate recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.93 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for youth mortality rate?
- Malawi ranks 33rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is youth mortality rate rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Youth mortality rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged under fifteen years, per 100 live births.