Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malawi
Malawi: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 17.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
17.6%
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
232nd
of 238 countries
All-time high
17.6%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malawi, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malawi is 17.6%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malawi peaked at 17.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Malawi 232nd out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.3% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.4% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 0.4% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 0.7% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 0.7% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 0.8% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 0.9% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 1.0% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 1.0% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 1.1% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 1.3% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 1.4% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 1.5% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 1.7% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 1.8% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 2.0% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 2.2% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 2.4% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 2.6% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 2.9% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 3.1% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 3.5% | +13.1% |
| 1951 | 3.5% | +0.3% |
| 1952 | 3.6% | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 3.6% | +0.9% |
| 1954 | 3.6% | +1.1% |
| 1955 | 3.7% | +1.3% |
| 1956 | 3.7% | +1.6% |
| 1957 | 3.8% | +1.7% |
| 1958 | 3.9% | +1.9% |
| 1959 | 4.0% | +2.1% |
| 1960 | 4.0% | +2.2% |
| 1961 | 4.1% | +2.3% |
| 1962 | 4.2% | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 4.3% | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 4.5% | +2.5% |
| 1965 | 4.6% | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 4.7% | +2.6% |
| 1967 | 4.8% | +3.4% |
| 1968 | 5.1% | +4.9% |
| 1969 | 5.4% | +5.9% |
| 1970 | 5.7% | +6.5% |
| 1971 | 6.1% | +6.8% |
| 1972 | 6.5% | +6.7% |
| 1973 | 7.0% | +6.4% |
| 1974 | 7.4% | +5.9% |
| 1975 | 7.8% | +5.3% |
| 1976 | 8.1% | +4.6% |
| 1977 | 8.4% | +3.8% |
| 1978 | 8.7% | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 8.9% | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 9.1% | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 9.3% | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 9.5% | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 9.7% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 9.9% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 10.1% | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 10.4% | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 10.6% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 10.9% | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 11.2% | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 11.6% | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 12.0% | +3.5% |
| 1992 | 12.4% | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 12.9% | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 13.3% | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 13.6% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 14.0% | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 14.2% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 14.4% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 14.6% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 14.7% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 14.8% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 14.9% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 15.0% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 15.0% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 15.1% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 15.2% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 15.2% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 15.3% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 15.4% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 15.5% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 15.6% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 15.6% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 15.7% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 15.8% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 15.8% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 15.9% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 16.0% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 16.0% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 16.1% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 16.3% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 16.5% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 16.7% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 17.0% | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 17.3% | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 17.6% | +1.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 17.6% is below the median for low income countries, which is 34.5%, 51% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 17.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 39% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1740s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1750s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1780s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1800s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1810s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1820s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1830s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1840s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1850s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1 |
| 1860s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1870s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
| 1880s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 1890s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 1900s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1 |
| 1910s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1 |
| 1920s | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1 |
| 1930s | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1 |
| 1940s | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1 |
| 1950s | 3.7% | 3.5% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.6% | 4.0% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.5% | 5.7% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.1% | 9.1% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.3% | 11.6% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.1% | 14.7% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.8% | 15.5% | 16.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 16.3% | 17.6% | 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 do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malawi?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Malawi was 17.6% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 17.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Malawi rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Malawi ranks 232nd out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.