Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Malawi

Malawi: Primary government spending as a share of original budget was 105.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
105.5%
Change on year
up 23.0%
World rank
39th
of 166 countries
All-time high
122.7%
in 2013
All-time low
80.0%
in 2018
Years of data
18
2008–2025

Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Malawi, 2008–2025

02550751001252008201620252008: 88.6 %2009: 109.5 %2010: 104.5 %2011: 104.3 %2012: 111.3 %2013: 122.7 %2014: 94.9 %2015: 103.2 %2016: 96.1 %2017: 88.7 %2018: 80 %2019: 107.8 %2020: 96.7 %2021: 93.6 %2022: 100 %2023: 107.2 %2024: 85.8 %2025: 105.5 %

Source: World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2025, primary government spending as a share of original budget in Malawi stood at 105.5%.

The figure is up 23.0% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary government spending as a share of original budget in Malawi peaked at 122.7% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 80.0%, in 2018.

Malawi ranks 39th of 166 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.

Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Malawi, 2008 to 2025.
Year % Change
2008 88.6%
2009 109.5% +23.6%
2010 104.5% -4.5%
2011 104.3% -0.2%
2012 111.3% +6.7%
2013 122.7% +10.2%
2014 94.9% -22.6%
2015 103.2% +8.7%
2016 96.1% -6.8%
2017 88.7% -7.8%
2018 80.0% -9.8%
2019 107.8% +34.8%
2020 96.7% -10.3%
2021 93.6% -3.2%
2022 100.0% +6.8%
2023 107.2% +7.2%
2024 85.8% -19.9%
2025 105.5% +23.0%

Malawi compared with similar countries

  • Malawi's 105.5% is above the median for low income countries, which is 90.5%, 1.2× the median. (20 countries reporting)
  • Malawi's 105.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 98.1%, 1.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 99.1% 88.6% 109.5% 2
2010s 101.4% 80.0% 122.7% 10
2020s 98.1% 85.8% 107.2% 6

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 36 Grenada 106.5% compare
  2. 37 Myanmar 106.5% compare
  3. 38 Belgium 105.8% compare
  4. 39 Namibia 105.5% compare
  5. 41 Norway 105.3% compare
  6. 42 El Salvador 104.9% compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary government spending as a share of original budget in Malawi?
Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Malawi was 105.5% in 2025, according to World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest primary government spending as a share of original budget recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 122.7% in 2013.
What is the lowest primary government spending as a share of original budget recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 80.0% in 2018.
How does Malawi rank for primary government spending as a share of original budget?
Malawi ranks 39th out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
Is primary government spending as a share of original budget rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary government spending as a share of original budget. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary government spending as a share of original budget in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/govt-expenditure-share-budget/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary government spending as a share of original budget
Unit
%
Source
World Bank – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 2,464 data points, 2004–2025
Last refreshed

Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%).