Palm oil imports in Malawi
Malawi: Palm oil imports was 36,000 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
36,000 tonnes
Change on year
up 50.0%
World rank
86th
of 190 countries
All-time high
63,000 tonnes
in 2020
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Palm oil imports in Malawi, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, palm oil imports in Malawi stood at 36,000 tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 50.0% on the previous year and up 1,100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, palm oil imports in Malawi peaked at 63,000 tonnes in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 1961.
Malawi ranks 86th of 190 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.
Palm oil imports in Malawi, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1963 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1964 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1965 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1966 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1967 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1968 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1969 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1970 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1971 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1972 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1973 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1974 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1975 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1976 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1977 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1978 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1979 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1980 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1981 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1982 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1983 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1984 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1985 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1986 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1987 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1988 | 3,000 tonnes | — |
| 1989 | 1,000 tonnes | -66.7% |
| 1990 | 8,000 tonnes | +700.0% |
| 1991 | 5,000 tonnes | -37.5% |
| 1992 | 3,000 tonnes | -40.0% |
| 1993 | 1,000 tonnes | -66.7% |
| 1994 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 1995 | 3,000 tonnes | — |
| 1996 | 7,000 tonnes | +133.3% |
| 1997 | 6,000 tonnes | -14.3% |
| 1998 | 7,000 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 1999 | 5,000 tonnes | -28.6% |
| 2000 | 1,000 tonnes | -80.0% |
| 2001 | 7,000 tonnes | +600.0% |
| 2002 | 4,000 tonnes | -42.9% |
| 2003 | 3,000 tonnes | -25.0% |
| 2004 | 5,000 tonnes | +66.7% |
| 2005 | 1,000 tonnes | -80.0% |
| 2006 | 3,000 tonnes | +200.0% |
| 2007 | 11,000 tonnes | +266.7% |
| 2008 | 10,000 tonnes | -9.1% |
| 2009 | 10,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 5,000 tonnes | -50.0% |
| 2011 | 4,000 tonnes | -20.0% |
| 2012 | 1,000 tonnes | -75.0% |
| 2013 | 3,000 tonnes | +200.0% |
| 2014 | 4,000 tonnes | +33.3% |
| 2015 | 13,000 tonnes | +225.0% |
| 2016 | 13,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 13,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 38,000 tonnes | +192.3% |
| 2019 | 47,000 tonnes | +23.7% |
| 2020 | 63,000 tonnes | +34.0% |
| 2021 | 31,000 tonnes | -50.8% |
| 2022 | 24,000 tonnes | -22.6% |
| 2023 | 36,000 tonnes | +50.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 36,000 tonnes is below the median for low income countries, which is 48,000 tonnes, 75% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 36,000 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 56,000 tonnes, 64% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Palm oil imports 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +700.0% | 1,000 tonnes | 8,000 tonnes |
| 2001 | +600.0% | 1,000 tonnes | 7,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 400 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 3,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 4,500 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 8,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,500 tonnes | 1,000 tonnes | 11,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 14,100 tonnes | 1,000 tonnes | 47,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 38,500 tonnes | 24,000 tonnes | 63,000 tonnes | 4 |
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 palm oil imports in Malawi?
- Palm oil imports in Malawi was 36,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest palm oil imports recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 63,000 tonnes in 2020.
- What is the lowest palm oil imports recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for palm oil imports?
- Malawi ranks 86th out of 190 countries with data for 2023.
- Is palm oil imports rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Palm oil imports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).