Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Malawi
Malawi: Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate was 1.89 % change on previous year in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
1.89 % change on previous year
Change on year
up 9.3%
World rank
15th
of 234 countries
All-time high
6.77 % change on previous year
in 1971
All-time low
0.2846 % change on previous year
in 1951
Years of data
75
1951–2025
Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Malawi, 1951–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
In 2025, urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Malawi stood at 1.89 % change on previous year.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.3% on the previous year and up 340.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Malawi peaked at 6.77 % change on previous year in 1971 and was at its lowest, 0.2846 % change on previous year, in 1951.
Malawi ranks 15th of 234 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 0.2846 % change on previous year | — |
| 1952 | 0.5842 % change on previous year | +105.3% |
| 1953 | 0.8536 % change on previous year | +46.1% |
| 1954 | 1.11 % change on previous year | +29.6% |
| 1955 | 1.34 % change on previous year | +21.1% |
| 1956 | 1.55 % change on previous year | +15.9% |
| 1957 | 1.75 % change on previous year | +12.4% |
| 1958 | 1.92 % change on previous year | +9.9% |
| 1959 | 2.07 % change on previous year | +7.9% |
| 1960 | 2.2 % change on previous year | +6.4% |
| 1961 | 2.31 % change on previous year | +5.1% |
| 1962 | 2.41 % change on previous year | +4.1% |
| 1963 | 2.48 % change on previous year | +3.2% |
| 1964 | 2.54 % change on previous year | +2.4% |
| 1965 | 2.59 % change on previous year | +1.8% |
| 1966 | 2.59 % change on previous year | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 3.38 % change on previous year | +30.8% |
| 1968 | 4.87 % change on previous year | +43.9% |
| 1969 | 5.92 % change on previous year | +21.6% |
| 1970 | 6.54 % change on previous year | +10.3% |
| 1971 | 6.77 % change on previous year | +3.6% |
| 1972 | 6.71 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 6.41 % change on previous year | -4.4% |
| 1974 | 5.94 % change on previous year | -7.4% |
| 1975 | 5.33 % change on previous year | -10.3% |
| 1976 | 4.61 % change on previous year | -13.4% |
| 1977 | 3.79 % change on previous year | -17.9% |
| 1978 | 3.1 % change on previous year | -18.3% |
| 1979 | 2.7 % change on previous year | -12.8% |
| 1980 | 2.43 % change on previous year | -10.1% |
| 1981 | 2.23 % change on previous year | -8.0% |
| 1982 | 2.11 % change on previous year | -5.4% |
| 1983 | 2.06 % change on previous year | -2.6% |
| 1984 | 2.06 % change on previous year | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 2.13 % change on previous year | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 2.24 % change on previous year | +5.3% |
| 1987 | 2.39 % change on previous year | +6.9% |
| 1988 | 2.7 % change on previous year | +12.8% |
| 1989 | 3.11 % change on previous year | +15.4% |
| 1990 | 3.38 % change on previous year | +8.4% |
| 1991 | 3.49 % change on previous year | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 3.48 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 3.34 % change on previous year | -3.8% |
| 1994 | 3.11 % change on previous year | -6.9% |
| 1995 | 2.79 % change on previous year | -10.3% |
| 1996 | 2.39 % change on previous year | -14.3% |
| 1997 | 1.92 % change on previous year | -19.8% |
| 1998 | 1.36 % change on previous year | -29.1% |
| 1999 | 0.9499 % change on previous year | -30.1% |
| 2000 | 0.8063 % change on previous year | -15.1% |
| 2001 | 0.7038 % change on previous year | -12.7% |
| 2002 | 0.6211 % change on previous year | -11.8% |
| 2003 | 0.5574 % change on previous year | -10.3% |
| 2004 | 0.5115 % change on previous year | -8.2% |
| 2005 | 0.483 % change on previous year | -5.6% |
| 2006 | 0.4714 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 0.4771 % change on previous year | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 0.4984 % change on previous year | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 0.5071 % change on previous year | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 0.4948 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 0.482 % change on previous year | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 0.4694 % change on previous year | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 0.4563 % change on previous year | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 0.4434 % change on previous year | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 0.4294 % change on previous year | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 0.4149 % change on previous year | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 0.4013 % change on previous year | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 0.3677 % change on previous year | -8.4% |
| 2019 | 0.7259 % change on previous year | +97.4% |
| 2020 | 0.9772 % change on previous year | +34.6% |
| 2021 | 1.18 % change on previous year | +20.6% |
| 2022 | 1.37 % change on previous year | +16.5% |
| 2023 | 1.56 % change on previous year | +13.4% |
| 2024 | 1.73 % change on previous year | +11.1% |
| 2025 | 1.89 % change on previous year | +9.3% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1.89 % change on previous year is above the median for low income countries, which is 1.24 % change on previous year, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1.89 % change on previous year is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.15 % change on previous year, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | +105.3% | 0.2846 % change on previous year | 0.5842 % change on previous year |
| 2019 | +97.4% | 0.3677 % change on previous year | 0.7259 % change on previous year |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.27 % change on previous year | 0.2846 % change on previous year | 2.07 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1960s | 3.13 % change on previous year | 2.2 % change on previous year | 5.92 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.19 % change on previous year | 2.7 % change on previous year | 6.77 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.35 % change on previous year | 2.06 % change on previous year | 3.11 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.62 % change on previous year | 0.9499 % change on previous year | 3.49 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5637 % change on previous year | 0.4714 % change on previous year | 0.8063 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4685 % change on previous year | 0.3677 % change on previous year | 0.7259 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.45 % change on previous year | 0.9772 % change on previous year | 1.89 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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 urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Malawi?
- Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Malawi was 1.89 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 6.77 % change on previous year in 1971.
- What is the lowest urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2846 % change on previous year in 1951.
- How does Malawi rank for urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate?
- Malawi ranks 15th out of 234 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 340.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban vs rural majority. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
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
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban vs rural majority. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.