Malawi vs Zambia: People without basic handwashing facilities
Malawi
18.32 million people
in 2024
Zambia
17.40 million people
in 2024
Malawi rank
22nd
Zambia rank
25th
People without basic handwashing facilities over time
- Malawi
- Zambia
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 18.32 million people against 17.40 million people in Zambia, a difference of 922,400 people.
That makes Malawi's figure about 1.1 times Zambia's.
Across all 17 years both countries report, Malawi has been ahead every year.
Malawi ranks 22nd and Zambia ranks 25th of 120 countries.
Malawi has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.01 million people | 11.03 million people | 973,750 people | Malawi |
| 2010s | 14.30 million people | 13.37 million people | 926,440 people | Malawi |
| 2020s | 17.43 million people | 16.51 million people | 918,340 people | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people without basic handwashing facilities, Malawi or Zambia?
- Malawi, at 18.32 million people against 17.40 million people in Zambia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people without basic handwashing facilities between Malawi and Zambia?
- 922,400 people, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Zambia?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2024.
- How do Malawi and Zambia rank globally for people without basic handwashing facilities?
- Malawi ranks 22nd and Zambia ranks 25th of 120 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as People without basic handwashing facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
People without access to a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home.