People without basic handwashing facilities in Malawi
Malawi: People without basic handwashing facilities was 18.32 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People without basic handwashing facilities in Malawi, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 18.32 million people for people without basic handwashing facilities in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 30.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people without basic handwashing facilities in Malawi peaked at 18.32 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.56 million people, in 2000.
That places Malawi 22nd out of 120 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.78 million people | 9.56 million people | 12.19 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.30 million people | 12.55 million people | 16.12 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.43 million people | 16.55 million people | 18.32 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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 people without basic handwashing facilities in Malawi?
- People without basic handwashing facilities in Malawi was 18.32 million people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people without basic handwashing facilities recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 18.32 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people without basic handwashing facilities recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.56 million people in 2000.
- How does Malawi rank for people without basic handwashing facilities?
- Malawi ranks 22nd out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people without basic handwashing facilities rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People without basic handwashing facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
People without access to a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home.