Installed solar energy capacity in Malawi
Malawi: Installed solar energy capacity was 0.1049 gigawatts in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Installed solar energy capacity in Malawi, 2000–2025
Source: IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in gigawatts.
Analysis
In 2025, installed solar energy capacity in Malawi stood at 0.1049 gigawatts. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 9,868.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, installed solar energy capacity in Malawi peaked at 0.1049 gigawatts in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.0001 gigawatts, in 2005.
Malawi ranks 123rd of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Installed solar energy capacity in Malawi, year by year
| Year | gigawatts | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.0002 gigawatts | — |
| 2001 | 0.0002 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.0002 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.0002 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0002 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0001 gigawatts | -67.7% |
| 2006 | 0.0001 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.0001 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0001 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.0001 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.0001 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.0001 gigawatts | +11.0% |
| 2012 | 0.0001 gigawatts | +9.3% |
| 2013 | 0.0009 gigawatts | +986.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0009 gigawatts | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 0.0011 gigawatts | +11.4% |
| 2016 | 0.0012 gigawatts | +14.7% |
| 2017 | 0.0016 gigawatts | +36.1% |
| 2018 | 0.0017 gigawatts | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 0.0018 gigawatts | +6.9% |
| 2020 | 0.0033 gigawatts | +81.2% |
| 2021 | 0.0634 gigawatts | +1794.7% |
| 2022 | 0.1047 gigawatts | +65.2% |
| 2023 | 0.1047 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.1049 gigawatts | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 0.1049 gigawatts | +0.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 0.1049 gigawatts is above the median for low income countries, which is 0.0631 gigawatts, 1.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 0.1049 gigawatts is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0453 gigawatts, 2.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Installed solar energy capacity 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +1794.7% | 0.0033 gigawatts | 0.0634 gigawatts |
| 2013 | +986.6% | 0.0001 gigawatts | 0.0009 gigawatts |
| 2020 | +81.2% | 0.0018 gigawatts | 0.0033 gigawatts |
| 2005 | -67.7% | 0.0002 gigawatts | 0.0001 gigawatts |
| 2022 | +65.2% | 0.0634 gigawatts | 0.1047 gigawatts |
| 2017 | +36.1% | 0.0012 gigawatts | 0.0016 gigawatts |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0001 gigawatts | 0.0001 gigawatts | 0.0002 gigawatts | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.001 gigawatts | 0.0001 gigawatts | 0.0018 gigawatts | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.081 gigawatts | 0.0033 gigawatts | 0.1049 gigawatts | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More energy & mining data for Malawi
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 7.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel imports 16.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is installed solar energy capacity in Malawi?
- Installed solar energy capacity in Malawi was 0.1049 gigawatts in 2025, according to IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1049 gigawatts in 2024.
- What is the lowest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0001 gigawatts in 2005.
- How does Malawi rank for installed solar energy capacity?
- Malawi ranks 123rd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is installed solar energy capacity rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9,868.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Installed solar energy capacity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total solar (on- and off-grid) electricity installed capacity, measured in gigawatts. This includes solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power.