Military spending in Malawi
Malawi: Military spending was 142.12 million constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
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$, in 1964.
That places Malawi 139th out of 172 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.78 million constant 2022 US$ | 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
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0372 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.606 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3659 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.9529 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.5269 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 1,313 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
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.