Threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile in Malawi

Malawi: Threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile was 27.86 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
27.86 international-$ in 2021 prices
Change on year
down 10.9%
World rank
118th
of 120 countries
All-time high
35.26 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 1997
All-time low
24.34 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2010
Years of data
5
1997–2019

Threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile in Malawi, 1997–2019

0102030401997200820191997: 35.3 international-$ in 2021 prices2004: 29.5 international-$ in 2021 prices2010: 24.3 international-$ in 2021 prices2016: 31.3 international-$ in 2021 prices2019: 27.9 international-$ in 2021 prices

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices.

Analysis

The most recent figure for threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile in Malawi is 27.86 international-$ in 2021 prices, measured in 2019.

That represents a change of down 10.9% on the previous year and up 14.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile in Malawi peaked at 35.26 international-$ in 2021 prices in 1997 and was at its lowest, 24.34 international-$ in 2021 prices, in 2010.

Malawi ranks 118th of 120 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 35.26 international-$ in 2021 prices 35.26 international-$ in 2021 prices 35.26 international-$ in 2021 prices 1
2000s 29.49 international-$ in 2021 prices 29.49 international-$ in 2021 prices 29.49 international-$ in 2021 prices 1
2010s 27.82 international-$ in 2021 prices 24.34 international-$ in 2021 prices 31.27 international-$ in 2021 prices 3

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 115 Uganda 34.65 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
  2. 116 Madagascar 32.12 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
  3. 117 Burundi 28.65 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
  4. 119 Mozambique 17.33 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
  5. 120 Zambia 16.88 international-$ in 2021 prices compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile in Malawi?
Threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile in Malawi was 27.86 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 35.26 international-$ in 2021 prices in 1997.
What is the lowest threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 24.34 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2010.
How does Malawi rank for threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile?
Malawi ranks 118th out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
Is threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Threshold income or consumption per month marking the poorest decile, the median, and the richest decile
Unit
international-$ in 2021 prices
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

The level of income or consumption per month below which 10% of the population falls.