Share of single-parent households in Malawi

Malawi: Share of single-parent households was 14.7% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
14.7%
World rank
6th
of 70 countries
All-time high
14.7%
in 2019
All-time low
9.4%
in 2004
Years of data
12
1987–2019

Share of single-parent households in Malawi, 1987–2019

0510151987200320191987: 12.3 %1992: 10.4 %1998: 11 %2000: 9.8 %2004: 9.4 %2006: 10.6 %2008: 10.4 %2010: 10.3 %2013: 11.1 %2014: 11.2 %2015: 12.3 %2019: 14.7 %

Source: United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of single-parent households in Malawi is 14.7%, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.

That represents a change of up 40.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of single-parent households in Malawi peaked at 14.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 9.4%, in 2004.

Malawi ranks 6th of 70 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Share of single-parent households in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Share of single-parent households in Malawi, 1987 to 2019.
Year % Change
1987 12.3%
1992 10.4% -14.8%
1998 11.0% +5.6%
2000 9.8% -11.6%
2004 9.4% -3.3%
2006 10.6% +12.3%
2008 10.4% -1.4%
2010 10.3% -1.2%
2013 11.1% +7.7%
2014 11.2% +0.5%
2015 12.3% +10.1%
2019 14.7% +19.2%

Malawi compared with similar countries

  • Malawi's 14.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 9.7%, 1.5× the median. (14 countries reporting)
  • Malawi's 14.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.6%, 1.5× the median. (27 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 12.3% 12.3% 12.3% 1
1990s 10.7% 10.4% 11.0% 2
2000s 10.1% 9.4% 10.6% 4
2010s 11.9% 10.3% 14.7% 5

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 3 Jamaica 16.2% compare
  2. 4 Costa Rica 15.7% compare
  3. 5 Dominican Republic 15.0% compare
  4. 7 Rwanda 14.5% compare
  5. 8 Belarus 14.1% compare
  6. 9 Democratic Republic of Congo 13.8% compare

See the full ranking of 70 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of single-parent households in Malawi?
Share of single-parent households in Malawi was 14.7% in 2019, according to United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of single-parent households recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 14.7% in 2019.
What is the lowest share of single-parent households recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 9.4% in 2004.
How does Malawi rank for share of single-parent households?
Malawi ranks 6th out of 70 countries with data for 2019.
Is share of single-parent households rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 40.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of single-parent households. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of single-parent households in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-single-parent-households/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of single-parent households
Unit
%
Source
United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
70 places, 523 data points, 1960–2021
Last refreshed

Percentage of households comprised of a single parent and his or her children (biological, step, and adopted/foster children), irrespective of children’s ages, and no one else.