Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre in Malawi
Malawi: Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre was 5.12 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre in Malawi, 2000–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre in Malawi stood at 5.12 people per square kilometre. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of down 15.9% on the previous year and down 59.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre in Malawi peaked at 17.09 people per square kilometre in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.12 people per square kilometre, in 2023.
That places Malawi 42nd out of 171 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre in Malawi, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 17.09 people per square kilometre | — |
| 2001 | 16.86 people per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 16.61 people per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 16.35 people per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 16.08 people per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 15.8 people per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 15.51 people per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 15.2 people per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 14.88 people per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 14.52 people per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 14.14 people per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 13.71 people per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 13.24 people per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 12.73 people per square kilometre | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 12.17 people per square kilometre | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 11.57 people per square kilometre | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 10.92 people per square kilometre | -5.6% |
| 2017 | 10.23 people per square kilometre | -6.3% |
| 2018 | 9.5 people per square kilometre | -7.2% |
| 2019 | 8.71 people per square kilometre | -8.2% |
| 2020 | 7.89 people per square kilometre | -9.5% |
| 2021 | 7.01 people per square kilometre | -11.1% |
| 2022 | 6.09 people per square kilometre | -13.2% |
| 2023 | 5.12 people per square kilometre | -15.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.89 people per square kilometre | 14.52 people per square kilometre | 17.09 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.69 people per square kilometre | 8.71 people per square kilometre | 14.14 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.53 people per square kilometre | 5.12 people per square kilometre | 7.89 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 39 Myanmar 5.41 people per square kilometre compare
- 40 Cape Verde 5.26 people per square kilometre compare
- 41 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5.19 people per square kilometre compare
- 43 Tanzania 5.06 people per square kilometre compare
- 44 Nepal 4.9 people per square kilometre compare
- 45 Democratic Republic of Congo 4.62 people per square kilometre 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 sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre in Malawi?
- Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre in Malawi was 5.12 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 17.09 people per square kilometre in 2000.
- What is the lowest sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.12 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- How does Malawi rank for sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Malawi ranks 42nd out of 171 countries with data for 2023.
- Is sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Sanitation facilities usage in rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.