Palma ratio in Malawi

Malawi: Palma ratio was 1.73 in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
1.73
Change on year
down 26.3%
World rank
34th
of 120 countries
All-time high
6.25
in 1997
All-time low
1.73
in 2019
Years of data
5
1997–2019

Palma ratio in Malawi, 1997–2019

234561997200820191997: 6.22004: 1.92010: 2.52016: 2.32019: 1.7

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Malawi recorded 1.73 for palma ratio in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 26.3% on the previous year and down 30.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, palma ratio in Malawi peaked at 6.25 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 1.73, in 2019.

That places Malawi 34th out of 120 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 6.25 6.25 6.25 1
2000s 1.86 1.86 1.86 1
2010s 2.19 1.73 2.48 3

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 31 Bulgaria 1.8 compare
  2. 32 Dominican Republic 1.75 compare
  3. 33 Gambia 1.75 compare
  4. 35 Kenya 1.72 compare
  5. 36 Israel 1.69 compare
  6. 37 Sri Lanka 1.67 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is palma ratio in Malawi?
Palma ratio in Malawi was 1.73 in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest palma ratio recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 6.25 in 1997.
What is the lowest palma ratio recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 1.73 in 2019.
How does Malawi rank for palma ratio?
Malawi ranks 34th out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
Is palma ratio rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
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 Palma ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Palma ratio
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 Palma ratio is a measure of inequality that divides the share received by the richest 10% by the share of the poorest 40%. Higher values indicate higher inequality.