Democracy in Malawi
Malawi: Democracy was 4 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Democracy in Malawi, 2005–2025
Source: Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for democracy in Malawi is 4, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, democracy in Malawi peaked at 4 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 4, in 2005.
That places Malawi 16th out of 128 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Democracy in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4 | — |
| 2007 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 4 | +0.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 4 is above the median for low income countries, which is 1, 4.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 4 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2, 2.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 2010s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| 2020s | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 16 Albania 4 compare
- 16 Argentina 4 compare
- 16 Armenia 4 compare
- 16 Bhutan 4 compare
- 16 Bolivia 4 compare
- 16 Brazil 4 compare
- 16 Bulgaria 4 compare
- 16 Colombia 4 compare
- 16 Dominican Republic 4 compare
- 16 Ecuador 4 compare
- 16 Ghana 4 compare
- 16 Hungary 4 compare
- 16 India 4 compare
- 16 Lesotho 4 compare
- 16 Liberia 4 compare
- 16 Malaysia 4 compare
- 16 Mauritius 4 compare
- 16 Moldova 4 compare
- 16 Mongolia 4 compare
- 16 Montenegro 4 compare
- 16 Namibia 4 compare
- 16 Nepal 4 compare
- 16 North Macedonia 4 compare
- 16 Panama 4 compare
- 16 Paraguay 4 compare
- 16 Romania 4 compare
- 16 Senegal 4 compare
- 16 South Africa 4 compare
- 16 Sri Lanka 4 compare
- 16 Ukraine 4 compare
- 16 Zambia 4 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 democracy in Malawi?
- Democracy in Malawi was 4 in 2025, according to Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest democracy recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 4 in 2005.
- What is the lowest democracy recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 4 in 2005.
- How does Malawi rank for democracy?
- Malawi ranks 16th out of 128 countries with data for 2025.
- Is democracy rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Bertelsmann Transformation Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Identifies the political regime of a country. It distinguishes between hard-line autocracies (score 1), moderate autocracies (score 2), highly defective democracies (score 3), defective democracies (score 4), and consolidating democracies (score 5).