Daily supply of calories per person in Malawi
Malawi: Daily supply of calories per person was 2,618 kilocalories per day in 2023. ▲ Rising
Daily supply of calories per person in Malawi, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilocalories per day.
Analysis
In 2023, daily supply of calories per person in Malawi stood at 2,618 kilocalories per day.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, daily supply of calories per person in Malawi peaked at 2,642 kilocalories per day in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1,733 kilocalories per day, in 1992.
Malawi ranks 149th of 192 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Daily supply of calories per person in Malawi, year by year
| Year | kilocalories per day | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1,953 kilocalories per day | — |
| 1962 | 1,954 kilocalories per day | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 2,045 kilocalories per day | +4.7% |
| 1964 | 2,154 kilocalories per day | +5.3% |
| 1965 | 2,187 kilocalories per day | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 2,168 kilocalories per day | -0.9% |
| 1967 | 2,128 kilocalories per day | -1.9% |
| 1968 | 2,198 kilocalories per day | +3.3% |
| 1969 | 2,181 kilocalories per day | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 2,294 kilocalories per day | +5.2% |
| 1971 | 2,359 kilocalories per day | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 2,335 kilocalories per day | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 2,406 kilocalories per day | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 2,405 kilocalories per day | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 2,384 kilocalories per day | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 2,387 kilocalories per day | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 2,367 kilocalories per day | -0.8% |
| 1978 | 2,338 kilocalories per day | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 2,273 kilocalories per day | -2.8% |
| 1980 | 2,212 kilocalories per day | -2.7% |
| 1981 | 2,222 kilocalories per day | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 2,189 kilocalories per day | -1.5% |
| 1983 | 2,059 kilocalories per day | -5.9% |
| 1984 | 1,965 kilocalories per day | -4.6% |
| 1985 | 1,984 kilocalories per day | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 1,959 kilocalories per day | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 1,962 kilocalories per day | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 1,982 kilocalories per day | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 1,930 kilocalories per day | -2.6% |
| 1990 | 1,893 kilocalories per day | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 1,877 kilocalories per day | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 1,733 kilocalories per day | -7.7% |
| 1993 | 1,791 kilocalories per day | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 1,842 kilocalories per day | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 1,967 kilocalories per day | +6.8% |
| 1996 | 1,978 kilocalories per day | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 2,026 kilocalories per day | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 2,098 kilocalories per day | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 2,172 kilocalories per day | +3.5% |
| 2000 | 2,205 kilocalories per day | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 2,241 kilocalories per day | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 2,182 kilocalories per day | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 2,178 kilocalories per day | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 2,178 kilocalories per day | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 2,206 kilocalories per day | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 2,288 kilocalories per day | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 2,316 kilocalories per day | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 2,345 kilocalories per day | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 2,339 kilocalories per day | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 2,556 kilocalories per day | +9.3% |
| 2011 | 2,562 kilocalories per day | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 2,590 kilocalories per day | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 2,586 kilocalories per day | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 2,557 kilocalories per day | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 2,603 kilocalories per day | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 2,574 kilocalories per day | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 2,583 kilocalories per day | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 2,591 kilocalories per day | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 2,575 kilocalories per day | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 2,621 kilocalories per day | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 2,642 kilocalories per day | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 2,614 kilocalories per day | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 2,618 kilocalories per day | +0.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 2,618 kilocalories per day is above the median for low income countries, which is 2,378 kilocalories per day, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 2,618 kilocalories per day is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2,518 kilocalories per day, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,108 kilocalories per day | 1,953 kilocalories per day | 2,198 kilocalories per day | 9 |
| 1970s | 2,355 kilocalories per day | 2,273 kilocalories per day | 2,406 kilocalories per day | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,046 kilocalories per day | 1,930 kilocalories per day | 2,222 kilocalories per day | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,938 kilocalories per day | 1,733 kilocalories per day | 2,172 kilocalories per day | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,248 kilocalories per day | 2,178 kilocalories per day | 2,345 kilocalories per day | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,578 kilocalories per day | 2,556 kilocalories per day | 2,603 kilocalories per day | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,624 kilocalories per day | 2,614 kilocalories per day | 2,642 kilocalories per day | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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 daily supply of calories per person in Malawi?
- Daily supply of calories per person in Malawi was 2,618 kilocalories per day in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest daily supply of calories per person recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 2,642 kilocalories per day in 2021.
- What is the lowest daily supply of calories per person recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,733 kilocalories per day in 1992.
- How does Malawi rank for daily supply of calories per person?
- Malawi ranks 149th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is daily supply of calories per person rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. 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) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Daily supply of calories per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Measured in kilocalories per person per day. This indicates the calories that are available for consumption, but does not necessarily measure the number of calories actually consumed, since it doesn't factor in consumer waste.