Civil Liberties Score in Malawi
Malawi: Civil Liberties Score was 38 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Civil Liberties Score in Malawi, 2003–2025
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 38 for civil liberties score in 2025. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, civil liberties score in Malawi peaked at 38 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 32, in 2003.
That places Malawi 94th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Civil Liberties Score in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 32 | — |
| 2004 | 34 | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 35 | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 34 | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 32 | -5.9% |
| 2012 | 34 | +6.2% |
| 2013 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 37 | +8.8% |
| 2016 | 37 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 37 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 38 | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 36 | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 37 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 37 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 37 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 37 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 37 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 38 | +2.7% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 38 is above the median for low income countries, which is 14, 2.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 38 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 24, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 33.86 | 32 | 35 | 7 |
| 2010s | 35.3 | 32 | 38 | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.17 | 37 | 38 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 94 Colombia 38 compare
- 94 Sierra Leone 38 compare
- 97 Bosnia and Herzegovina 37 compare
- 97 Ecuador 37 compare
- 97 Paraguay 37 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 civil liberties score in Malawi?
- Civil liberties score in Malawi was 38 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest civil liberties score recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 38 in 2018.
- What is the lowest civil liberties score recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 32 in 2003.
- How does Malawi rank for civil liberties score?
- Malawi ranks 94th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is civil liberties score rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil Liberties Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The variable identifies the fine-grained extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Higher scores indicate more liberties.