Prosperity gap in Malawi
Malawi: Prosperity gap was 16.73 in 2019. ▲ Rising
Prosperity gap in Malawi, 1997–2019
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 16.73 for prosperity gap in 2019.
That represents a change of up 9.1% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prosperity gap in Malawi peaked at 17.95 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 13.71, in 1997.
That places Malawi 3rd out of 120 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.
Prosperity gap in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 13.71 | — |
| 2004 | 16.05 | +17.1% |
| 2010 | 17.95 | +11.8% |
| 2016 | 15.34 | -14.6% |
| 2019 | 16.73 | +9.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 16.73 is above the median for low income countries, which is 9.41, 1.8× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 16.73 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.11, 1.8× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.71 | 13.71 | 13.71 | 1 |
| 2000s | 16.05 | 16.05 | 16.05 | 1 |
| 2010s | 16.67 | 15.34 | 17.95 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 1 Mozambique 24.43 compare
- 2 Zambia 22.85 compare
- 4 Burundi 16.38 compare
- 5 Madagascar 14.43 compare
- 6 Uganda 13.14 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 prosperity gap in Malawi?
- Prosperity gap in Malawi was 16.73 in 2019, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest prosperity gap recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 17.95 in 2010.
- What is the lowest prosperity gap recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.71 in 1997.
- How does Malawi rank for prosperity gap?
- Malawi ranks 3rd out of 120 countries with data for 2019.
- Is prosperity gap rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Prosperity gap. 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
Average factor by which incomes need to be multiplied to bring everyone to the prosperity standard of $28 per person per day.