Age dependency breakdown in Malawi

Malawi: Age dependency breakdown was 4.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
4.6%
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
223rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
8.3%
in 1988
All-time low
4.6%
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Age dependency breakdown in Malawi, 1950–2023

02468195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Malawi recorded 4.6% for age dependency breakdown in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.

The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 28.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, age dependency breakdown in Malawi peaked at 8.3% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 2023.

Malawi ranks 223rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 5.8% 5.7% 6.0% 10
1960s 5.5% 5.5% 5.6% 10
1970s 5.4% 5.3% 5.7% 10
1980s 7.2% 6.0% 8.3% 10
1990s 6.7% 6.0% 7.6% 10
2000s 7.5% 6.5% 8.0% 10
2010s 6.1% 5.2% 7.2% 10
2020s 4.8% 4.6% 5.0% 4

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 220 Burkina Faso 4.8% compare
  2. 221 Mali 4.7% compare
  3. 222 Bahrain 4.7% compare
  4. 224 Nauru 4.6% compare
  5. 225 Cote d'Ivoire 4.6% compare
  6. 226 Yemen 4.5% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is age dependency breakdown in Malawi?
Age dependency breakdown in Malawi was 4.6% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest age dependency breakdown recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 8.3% in 1988.
What is the lowest age dependency breakdown recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 2023.
How does Malawi rank for age dependency breakdown?
Malawi ranks 223rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is age dependency breakdown rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 28.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Age dependency breakdown. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Age dependency breakdown
Unit
%
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

The number of people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).