Access to electricity (% of population) in Malawi
Malawi: Access to electricity (% of population) was 15.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Access to electricity in Malawi, 1992–2024
Source: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 15.6% for access to electricity in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 31.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, access to electricity in Malawi peaked at 18.0% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1993.
Malawi ranks 215th of 217 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Access to electricity (% of population) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 3.2% | — |
| 1993 | 1.6% | -51.5% |
| 1994 | 2.0% | +29.6% |
| 1995 | 2.5% | +22.7% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | +18.4% |
| 1997 | 3.4% | +15.4% |
| 1998 | 3.8% | +13.3% |
| 1999 | 4.3% | +11.6% |
| 2000 | 4.8% | +12.4% |
| 2001 | 5.2% | +8.3% |
| 2002 | 5.6% | +7.7% |
| 2003 | 6.2% | +10.7% |
| 2004 | 6.9% | +11.3% |
| 2005 | 6.6% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 3.7% | -43.9% |
| 2007 | 7.4% | +100.0% |
| 2008 | 7.8% | +5.4% |
| 2009 | 8.3% | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 8.7% | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 7.6% | -12.6% |
| 2012 | 7.4% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 9.0% | +21.6% |
| 2014 | 11.9% | +32.2% |
| 2015 | 10.8% | -9.2% |
| 2016 | 11.0% | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 12.7% | +15.5% |
| 2018 | 18.0% | +41.7% |
| 2019 | 11.2% | -37.8% |
| 2020 | 11.5% | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 14.2% | +23.5% |
| 2022 | 14.0% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 15.6% | +11.4% |
| 2024 | 15.6% | +0.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 15.6% is below the median for low income countries, which is 43.7%, 36% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 15.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 57.8%, 27% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Access to electricity (% of population) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +100.0% | 3.7% | 7.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.0% | 1.6% | 4.3% | 8 |
| 2000s | 6.2% | 3.7% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.8% | 7.4% | 18.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.2% | 11.5% | 15.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 212 Niger 21.3% compare
- 213 Burundi 20.1% compare
- 214 Central African Republic 18.2% compare
- 216 Chad 13.4% compare
- 217 South Sudan 5.4% compare
More energy & mining data for Malawi
- Ores and metals imports 1.0% (2025)
- Gas production 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 0 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 0 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gas production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Gas production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is access to electricity in Malawi?
- Access to electricity in Malawi was 15.6% in 2024, according to SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest access to electricity recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 18.0% in 2018.
- What is the lowest access to electricity recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1993.
- How does Malawi rank for access to electricity?
- Malawi ranks 215th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is access to electricity rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB), published as part of Access to electricity (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Access to electricity is the percentage of population with access to electricity. Electrification data are collected from industry, national surveys and international sources.