Access to electricity in Malawi

Malawi: Access to electricity was 42.0% in 2016. β–² Rising

Latest (2016)
42.0%
Change on year
down 13.8%
World rank
209th
of 215 countries
All-time high
48.7%
in 2015
All-time low
17.2%
in 1990
Years of data
27
1990–2016

Access to electricity in Malawi, 1990–2016

010203040501990200320161990: 17.2 % of urban population1991: 18.2 % of urban population1992: 19.8 % of urban population1993: 20.2 % of urban population1994: 21.2 % of urban population1995: 22.1 % of urban population1996: 23.1 % of urban population1997: 24.1 % of urban population1998: 25.1 % of urban population1999: 26.1 % of urban population2000: 28.7 % of urban population2001: 28 % of urban population2002: 28.9 % of urban population2003: 37.1 % of urban population2004: 30.2 % of urban population2005: 31.8 % of urban population2006: 23.6 % of urban population2007: 33.7 % of urban population2008: 34.7 % of urban population2009: 35.7 % of urban population2010: 34.7 % of urban population2011: 32.6 % of urban population2012: 37.1 % of urban population2013: 36.6 % of urban population2014: 46.1 % of urban population2015: 48.7 % of urban population2016: 42 % of urban population

Source: World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014. Measured in % of urban population.

Analysis

The most recent figure for access to electricity in Malawi is 42.0%, measured in 2016.

That represents a change of down 13.8% on the previous year and up 78.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, access to electricity in Malawi peaked at 48.7% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 17.2%, in 1990.

That places Malawi 209th out of 215 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 21.7% 17.2% 26.1% 10
2000s 31.2% 23.6% 37.1% 10
2010s 39.7% 32.6% 48.7% 7

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 206 Burundi 49.7% compare
  2. 207 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 47.2% compare
  3. 208 Sierra Leone 46.9% compare
  4. 210 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 39.2% compare
  5. 211 Central African Republic 34.1% compare
  6. 212 Liberia 34.0% compare

See the full ranking of 217 places β†’

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is access to electricity in Malawi?
Access to electricity in Malawi was 42.0% in 2016, according to World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014.
What is the highest access to electricity recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 48.7% in 2015.
What is the lowest access to electricity recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 17.2% in 1990.
How does Malawi rank for access to electricity?
Malawi ranks 209th out of 215 countries with data for 2016.
Is access to electricity rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 78.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014, published as part of Access to electricity (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Access to electricity in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/access-to-electricity-percent-of-urban-population/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Access to electricity (% of urban population)
Unit
% of urban population
Source
World Bank Global Electrification Database 2014
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
217 places, 5,771 data points, 1990–2016
Last refreshed

Access to electricity is the percentage of total population with access to electricity.