Calorie supply by food group in Malawi
Malawi: Calorie supply by food group was 2,391 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2,391 kilocalories per day per capita
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
87th
of 192 countries
All-time high
2,486 kilocalories per day per capita
in 2012
All-time low
1,674 kilocalories per day per capita
in 1992
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Calorie supply by food group in Malawi, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in kilocalories per day per capita.
Analysis
The most recent figure for calorie supply by food group in Malawi is 2,391 kilocalories per day per capita, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, calorie supply by food group in Malawi peaked at 2,486 kilocalories per day per capita in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1,674 kilocalories per day per capita, in 1992.
That places Malawi 87th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Calorie supply by food group in Malawi, year by year
| Year | kilocalories per day per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1,904 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1962 | 1,894 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 1,982 kilocalories per day per capita | +4.6% |
| 1964 | 2,098 kilocalories per day per capita | +5.8% |
| 1965 | 2,107 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 2,100 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 2,057 kilocalories per day per capita | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 2,119 kilocalories per day per capita | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 2,093 kilocalories per day per capita | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 2,211 kilocalories per day per capita | +5.7% |
| 1971 | 2,266 kilocalories per day per capita | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 2,241 kilocalories per day per capita | -1.1% |
| 1973 | 2,312 kilocalories per day per capita | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 2,309 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 2,297 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 2,292 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 2,279 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 2,250 kilocalories per day per capita | -1.3% |
| 1979 | 2,181 kilocalories per day per capita | -3.1% |
| 1980 | 2,120 kilocalories per day per capita | -2.8% |
| 1981 | 2,129 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 2,104 kilocalories per day per capita | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 1,969 kilocalories per day per capita | -6.4% |
| 1984 | 1,897 kilocalories per day per capita | -3.7% |
| 1985 | 1,922 kilocalories per day per capita | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 1,888 kilocalories per day per capita | -1.8% |
| 1987 | 1,890 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 1,919 kilocalories per day per capita | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 1,870 kilocalories per day per capita | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 1,834 kilocalories per day per capita | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 1,818 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 1,674 kilocalories per day per capita | -7.9% |
| 1993 | 1,735 kilocalories per day per capita | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 1,788 kilocalories per day per capita | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 1,911 kilocalories per day per capita | +6.9% |
| 1996 | 1,917 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 1,966 kilocalories per day per capita | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 2,040 kilocalories per day per capita | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 2,112 kilocalories per day per capita | +3.5% |
| 2000 | 2,143 kilocalories per day per capita | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 2,180 kilocalories per day per capita | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 2,128 kilocalories per day per capita | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 2,123 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 2,122 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 2,148 kilocalories per day per capita | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 2,226 kilocalories per day per capita | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 2,243 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 2,259 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 2,245 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 2,484 kilocalories per day per capita | +10.6% |
| 2011 | 2,479 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 2,486 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 2,485 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 2,425 kilocalories per day per capita | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 2,455 kilocalories per day per capita | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 2,412 kilocalories per day per capita | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 2,398 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 2,389 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 2,371 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 2,395 kilocalories per day per capita | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 2,419 kilocalories per day per capita | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 2,386 kilocalories per day per capita | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 2,391 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 2,391 kilocalories per day per capita is above the median for low income countries, which is 2,163 kilocalories per day per capita, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 2,391 kilocalories per day per capita is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2,293 kilocalories per day per capita, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,039 kilocalories per day per capita | 1,894 kilocalories per day per capita | 2,119 kilocalories per day per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 2,264 kilocalories per day per capita | 2,181 kilocalories per day per capita | 2,312 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,971 kilocalories per day per capita | 1,870 kilocalories per day per capita | 2,129 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,880 kilocalories per day per capita | 1,674 kilocalories per day per capita | 2,112 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,182 kilocalories per day per capita | 2,122 kilocalories per day per capita | 2,259 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,438 kilocalories per day per capita | 2,371 kilocalories per day per capita | 2,486 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,398 kilocalories per day per capita | 2,386 kilocalories per day per capita | 2,419 kilocalories per day per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 84 Fiji 2,399 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 85 Nigeria 2,395 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 86 Venezuela 2,393 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 88 Libya 2,389 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 89 Brunei 2,383 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 90 Luxembourg 2,381 kilocalories per day per capita compare
More reference data data for Malawi
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1596 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3426 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5353 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.6012 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 16.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.87 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is calorie supply by food group in Malawi?
- Calorie supply by food group in Malawi was 2,391 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest calorie supply by food group recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 2,486 kilocalories per day per capita in 2012.
- What is the lowest calorie supply by food group recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,674 kilocalories per day per capita in 1992.
- How does Malawi rank for calorie supply by food group?
- Malawi ranks 87th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is calorie supply by food group rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Calorie supply by food group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Quantity that is available for consumption at the end of the supply chain. It does not account for consumer waste, so the quantity that is actually consumed may be lower.