Dietary compositions by commodity group in Malawi

Malawi: Dietary compositions by commodity group was 9.94 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
9.94 kilocalories per day per capita
Change on year
up 9.8%
World rank
183rd
of 191 countries
All-time high
10.29 kilocalories per day per capita
in 2021
All-time low
1.9 kilocalories per day per capita
in 1984
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Dietary compositions by commodity group in Malawi, 1961–2023

246810196119922023

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in kilocalories per day per capita.

Analysis

In 2023, dietary compositions by commodity group in Malawi stood at 9.94 kilocalories per day per capita.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.8% on the previous year and up 65.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, dietary compositions by commodity group in Malawi peaked at 10.29 kilocalories per day per capita in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.9 kilocalories per day per capita, in 1984.

Malawi ranks 183rd of 191 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 3.02 kilocalories per day per capita 2.91 kilocalories per day per capita 3.88 kilocalories per day per capita 9
1970s 2.89 kilocalories per day per capita 1.99 kilocalories per day per capita 3.03 kilocalories per day per capita 10
1980s 2.04 kilocalories per day per capita 1.9 kilocalories per day per capita 2.86 kilocalories per day per capita 10
1990s 2.55 kilocalories per day per capita 1.91 kilocalories per day per capita 3.99 kilocalories per day per capita 10
2000s 5.44 kilocalories per day per capita 3 kilocalories per day per capita 8.08 kilocalories per day per capita 10
2010s 6.55 kilocalories per day per capita 5.33 kilocalories per day per capita 8.42 kilocalories per day per capita 10
2020s 9.54 kilocalories per day per capita 8.88 kilocalories per day per capita 10.29 kilocalories per day per capita 4

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 180 Angola 10.85 kilocalories per day per capita compare
  2. 181 Guinea-Bissau 10.1 kilocalories per day per capita compare
  3. 182 Rwanda 10.02 kilocalories per day per capita compare
  4. 184 Poland 9.65 kilocalories per day per capita compare
  5. 185 Democratic Republic of Congo 9.48 kilocalories per day per capita compare
  6. 186 North Korea 9.38 kilocalories per day per capita compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is dietary compositions by commodity group in Malawi?
Dietary compositions by commodity group in Malawi was 9.94 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 compositions by commodity group recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 10.29 kilocalories per day per capita in 2021.
What is the lowest dietary compositions by commodity group recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 1.9 kilocalories per day per capita in 1984.
How does Malawi rank for dietary compositions by commodity group?
Malawi ranks 183rd out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
Is dietary compositions by commodity group rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 65.9%. 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 compositions by commodity group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Dietary compositions by commodity group
Unit
kilocalories per day per capita
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
192 places, 10,214 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Average per capita dietary energy supply by commodity groups, measured in kilocalories per person per day.