Military spending in Malawi
Malawi: Military spending was 142.12 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
142.12 million constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 10.4%
World rank
139th
of 172 countries
All-time high
142.12 million constant 2022 US$
in 2023
All-time low
8.22 million constant 2022 US$
in 1964
Years of data
60
1964–2023
Military spending in Malawi, 1964–2023
Source: Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 142.12 million constant 2022 US$ for military spending in 2023. That is the highest value across all 60 years on record.
That represents a change of up 10.4% on the previous year and up 246.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in Malawi peaked at 142.12 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.22 million constant 2022 US$, in 1964.
That places Malawi 139th out of 172 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending in Malawi, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 8.22 million constant 2022 US$ | — |
| 1965 | 9.33 million constant 2022 US$ | +13.4% |
| 1966 | 9.26 million constant 2022 US$ | -0.7% |
| 1967 | 9.06 million constant 2022 US$ | -2.2% |
| 1968 | 8.47 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.5% |
| 1969 | 8.37 million constant 2022 US$ | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 9.15 million constant 2022 US$ | +9.3% |
| 1971 | 9.85 million constant 2022 US$ | +7.7% |
| 1972 | 10.71 million constant 2022 US$ | +8.7% |
| 1973 | 16.78 million constant 2022 US$ | +56.7% |
| 1974 | 19.09 million constant 2022 US$ | +13.8% |
| 1975 | 25.22 million constant 2022 US$ | +32.1% |
| 1976 | 32.30 million constant 2022 US$ | +28.1% |
| 1977 | 43.25 million constant 2022 US$ | +33.9% |
| 1978 | 66.70 million constant 2022 US$ | +54.2% |
| 1979 | 89.43 million constant 2022 US$ | +34.1% |
| 1980 | 85.65 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.2% |
| 1981 | 74.44 million constant 2022 US$ | -13.1% |
| 1982 | 62.24 million constant 2022 US$ | -16.4% |
| 1983 | 51.08 million constant 2022 US$ | -17.9% |
| 1984 | 47.84 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.3% |
| 1985 | 50.93 million constant 2022 US$ | +6.5% |
| 1986 | 51.10 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 46.43 million constant 2022 US$ | -9.1% |
| 1988 | 43.38 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.6% |
| 1989 | 41.84 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.5% |
| 1990 | 38.87 million constant 2022 US$ | -7.1% |
| 1991 | 36.80 million constant 2022 US$ | -5.3% |
| 1992 | 35.55 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 33.23 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.5% |
| 1994 | 31.60 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.9% |
| 1995 | 29.91 million constant 2022 US$ | -5.4% |
| 1996 | 30.94 million constant 2022 US$ | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 33.66 million constant 2022 US$ | +8.8% |
| 1998 | 31.41 million constant 2022 US$ | -6.7% |
| 1999 | 27.78 million constant 2022 US$ | -11.5% |
| 2000 | 17.58 million constant 2022 US$ | -36.7% |
| 2001 | 17.33 million constant 2022 US$ | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 20.26 million constant 2022 US$ | +16.9% |
| 2003 | 19.33 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 21.00 million constant 2022 US$ | +8.7% |
| 2005 | 33.61 million constant 2022 US$ | +60.1% |
| 2006 | 42.20 million constant 2022 US$ | +25.6% |
| 2007 | 50.78 million constant 2022 US$ | +20.3% |
| 2008 | 53.21 million constant 2022 US$ | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 61.47 million constant 2022 US$ | +15.5% |
| 2010 | 78.37 million constant 2022 US$ | +27.5% |
| 2011 | 55.05 million constant 2022 US$ | -29.8% |
| 2012 | 44.42 million constant 2022 US$ | -19.3% |
| 2013 | 41.00 million constant 2022 US$ | -7.7% |
| 2014 | 49.46 million constant 2022 US$ | +20.6% |
| 2015 | 44.78 million constant 2022 US$ | -9.5% |
| 2016 | 43.03 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 49.83 million constant 2022 US$ | +15.8% |
| 2018 | 57.97 million constant 2022 US$ | +16.3% |
| 2019 | 91.25 million constant 2022 US$ | +57.4% |
| 2020 | 101.35 million constant 2022 US$ | +11.1% |
| 2021 | 113.93 million constant 2022 US$ | +12.4% |
| 2022 | 128.68 million constant 2022 US$ | +12.9% |
| 2023 | 142.12 million constant 2022 US$ | +10.4% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 142.12 million constant 2022 US$ is below the median for low income countries, which is 387.93 million constant 2022 US$, 37% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 142.12 million constant 2022 US$ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 350.64 million constant 2022 US$, 41% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.78 million constant 2022 US$ | 8.22 million constant 2022 US$ | 9.33 million constant 2022 US$ | 6 |
| 1970s | 32.25 million constant 2022 US$ | 9.15 million constant 2022 US$ | 89.43 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 55.49 million constant 2022 US$ | 41.84 million constant 2022 US$ | 85.65 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.97 million constant 2022 US$ | 27.78 million constant 2022 US$ | 38.87 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.68 million constant 2022 US$ | 17.33 million constant 2022 US$ | 61.47 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.52 million constant 2022 US$ | 41.00 million constant 2022 US$ | 91.25 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 121.52 million constant 2022 US$ | 101.35 million constant 2022 US$ | 142.12 million constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 136 Cuba 155.63 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 137 Mongolia 153.56 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 138 Somalia 149.19 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 140 Benin 140.87 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 141 Burundi 136.95 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 142 Madagascar 124.17 million constant 2022 US$ 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 military spending in Malawi?
- Military spending in Malawi was 142.12 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023, according to Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 142.12 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.22 million constant 2022 US$ in 1964.
- How does Malawi rank for military spending?
- Malawi ranks 139th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 246.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.