Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in Malawi

Malawi: Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days was 47.3% in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
47.3%
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
61st
of 187 countries
All-time high
47.3%
in 2020
All-time low
44.9%
in 2002
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in Malawi, 2000–2020

010203040502000201020202000: 45.3 %2001: 45.2 %2002: 44.9 %2003: 45.1 %2004: 45.2 %2005: 45 %2006: 46.4 %2007: 46.5 %2008: 46.1 %2009: 46.2 %2010: 46.9 %2011: 46.9 %2012: 47 %2013: 47 %2014: 47 %2015: 46.7 %2016: 46.2 %2017: 46.3 %2018: 46.6 %2019: 46.9 %2020: 47.3 %

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2020, share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in Malawi stood at 47.3%. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in Malawi peaked at 47.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 44.9%, in 2002.

Malawi ranks 61st of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 45.6% 44.9% 46.5% 10
2010s 46.7% 46.2% 47.0% 10
2020s 47.3% 47.3% 47.3% 1

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 58 Chad 47.4% compare
  2. 59 Portugal 47.4% compare
  3. 60 Barbados 47.4% compare
  4. 62 Antigua and Barbuda 47.2% compare
  5. 63 Poland 46.9% compare
  6. 64 Tanzania 46.9% compare

See the full ranking of 187 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in Malawi?
Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days in Malawi was 47.3% in 2020, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 47.3% in 2020.
What is the lowest share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 44.9% in 2002.
How does Malawi rank for share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days?
Malawi ranks 61st out of 187 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of drinkers who have had a heavy drinking session in past 30 days
Unit
%
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
187 places, 3,927 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed

Heavy episodic drinking (drinkers only) is defined as the proportion of adult drinkers (15+ years) who have had at least 60 grams or more of pure alcohol on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. A consumption of 60 grams of pure alcohol corresponds approximately to 6 standard alcoholic drinks.