Dietary composition by country in Malawi
Malawi: Dietary composition by country was 0.87 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.87 kilocalories per day per capita
Change on year
down 34.6%
World rank
164th
of 191 countries
All-time high
2.23 kilocalories per day per capita
in 2021
All-time low
0 kilocalories per day per capita
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Dietary composition by country 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 dietary composition by country in Malawi is 0.87 kilocalories per day per capita, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 34.6% on the previous year and down 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, dietary composition by country in Malawi peaked at 2.23 kilocalories per day per capita in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0 kilocalories per day per capita, in 1961.
That places Malawi 164th out of 191 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Dietary composition by country in Malawi, year by year
| Year | kilocalories per day per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1962 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1963 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1964 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1965 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1966 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1967 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1968 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1969 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1970 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1971 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1972 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1973 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1974 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1975 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1976 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1977 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1978 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1979 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1980 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1981 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1982 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1983 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1984 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1985 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1986 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1987 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1988 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1989 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1990 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1991 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1992 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1993 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1994 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1995 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1996 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1997 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1998 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1999 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 2000 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 2001 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 2002 | 1 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 2003 | 1 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | -100.0% |
| 2005 | 1.01 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 2006 | 1.01 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 1.01 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | -100.0% |
| 2009 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 2010 | 0.93 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 2011 | 0.93 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.93 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.96 kilocalories per day per capita | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 0.93 kilocalories per day per capita | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 0.93 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.93 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.01 kilocalories per day per capita | +8.6% |
| 2018 | 0.99 kilocalories per day per capita | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 2.22 kilocalories per day per capita | +124.2% |
| 2020 | 1.87 kilocalories per day per capita | -15.8% |
| 2021 | 2.23 kilocalories per day per capita | +19.3% |
| 2022 | 1.33 kilocalories per day per capita | -40.4% |
| 2023 | 0.87 kilocalories per day per capita | -34.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 0.87 kilocalories per day per capita is below the median for low income countries, which is 3.83 kilocalories per day per capita, 23% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 0.87 kilocalories per day per capita is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.79 kilocalories per day per capita, 18% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Dietary composition by country in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +124.2% | 0.99 kilocalories per day per capita | 2.22 kilocalories per day per capita |
| 2004 | -100.0% | 1 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita |
| 2008 | -100.0% | 1.01 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita |
| 2022 | -40.4% | 2.23 kilocalories per day per capita | 1.33 kilocalories per day per capita |
| 2023 | -34.6% | 1.33 kilocalories per day per capita | 0.87 kilocalories per day per capita |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5034 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 1.01 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.08 kilocalories per day per capita | 0.93 kilocalories per day per capita | 2.22 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.57 kilocalories per day per capita | 0.87 kilocalories per day per capita | 2.23 kilocalories per day per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 161 Belgium 1.1 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 162 Argentina 0.9797 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 163 Ethiopia 0.92 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 165 United States 0.84 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 166 Nepal 0.81 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 167 Hungary 0.79 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 dietary composition by country in Malawi?
- Dietary composition by country in Malawi was 0.87 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 dietary composition by country recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 2.23 kilocalories per day per capita in 2021.
- What is the lowest dietary composition by country recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 kilocalories per day per capita in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for dietary composition by country?
- Malawi ranks 164th out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is dietary composition by country rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Dietary composition by country. 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.