Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Malawi

Malawi: Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths was 360,752 children in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
360,752 children
Change on year
down 10.1%
World rank
10th
of 139 countries
All-time high
830,782 children
in 2009
All-time low
57,020 children
in 1990
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Malawi, 1990–2024

0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k1990200720241990: 57.0k children1991: 81.3k children1992: 112.1k children1993: 150.1k children1994: 193.2k children1995: 237.0k children1996: 287.4k children1997: 341.7k children1998: 399.1k children1999: 458.3k children2000: 516.2k children2001: 573.2k children2002: 627.4k children2003: 675.4k children2004: 718.9k children2005: 756.4k children2006: 787.7k children2007: 809.2k children2008: 823.2k children2009: 830.8k children2010: 827.7k children2011: 815.8k children2012: 799.4k children2013: 777.7k children2014: 749.8k children2015: 719.1k children2016: 687.1k children2017: 651.6k children2018: 611.2k children2019: 568.1k children2020: 524.8k children2021: 483.5k children2022: 443.4k children2023: 401.3k children2024: 360.8k children

Source: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in children.

Analysis

The most recent figure for children orphaned due to aids deaths in Malawi is 360,752 children, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.1% on the previous year and down 51.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, children orphaned due to aids deaths in Malawi peaked at 830,782 children in 2009 and was at its lowest, 57,020 children, in 1990.

Malawi ranks 10th of 139 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 231,729 children 57,020 children 458,323 children 10
2000s 711,823 children 516,167 children 830,782 children 10
2010s 720,758 children 568,135 children 827,685 children 10
2020s 442,737 children 360,752 children 524,811 children 5

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 7 Democratic Republic of Congo 511,169 children compare
  2. 8 Zimbabwe 505,492 children compare
  3. 9 Cameroon 412,664 children compare
  4. 11 Zambia 351,372 children compare
  5. 12 Cote d'Ivoire 308,216 children compare
  6. 13 Angola 285,617 children compare

See the full ranking of 139 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is children orphaned due to aids deaths in Malawi?
Children orphaned due to aids deaths in Malawi was 360,752 children in 2024, according to Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest children orphaned due to aids deaths recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 830,782 children in 2009.
What is the lowest children orphaned due to aids deaths recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 57,020 children in 1990.
How does Malawi rank for children orphaned due to aids deaths?
Malawi ranks 10th out of 139 countries with data for 2024.
Is children orphaned due to aids deaths rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 51.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths
Unit
children
Source
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
139 places, 4,809 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

Number of children, aged 17 and under, who have been orphaned by the death of one or both parents from AIDS at any point in their lives. This is the central estimate.