Primary energy use per person in Malawi
Malawi: Primary energy use per person was 399.2 kilowatt-hours per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
399.2 kilowatt-hours per person
Change on year
up 4.5%
World rank
207th
of 218 countries
All-time high
449.45 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1981
All-time low
294.94 kilowatt-hours per person
in 1988
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Primary energy use per person in Malawi, 1980–2024
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilowatt-hours per person.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 399.2 kilowatt-hours per person for primary energy use per person in 2024.
The figure is up 4.5% on the previous year and up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy use per person in Malawi peaked at 449.45 kilowatt-hours per person in 1981 and was at its lowest, 294.94 kilowatt-hours per person, in 1988.
That places Malawi 207th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Primary energy use per person in Malawi, year by year
| Year | kilowatt-hours per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 439.26 kilowatt-hours per person | — |
| 1981 | 449.45 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 394.31 kilowatt-hours per person | -12.3% |
| 1983 | 332.6 kilowatt-hours per person | -15.7% |
| 1984 | 312.55 kilowatt-hours per person | -6.0% |
| 1985 | 343.26 kilowatt-hours per person | +9.8% |
| 1986 | 317.17 kilowatt-hours per person | -7.6% |
| 1987 | 309.36 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 294.94 kilowatt-hours per person | -4.7% |
| 1989 | 329.63 kilowatt-hours per person | +11.8% |
| 1990 | 343.47 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 391.13 kilowatt-hours per person | +13.9% |
| 1992 | 384.54 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 367.31 kilowatt-hours per person | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 395.75 kilowatt-hours per person | +7.7% |
| 1995 | 415.33 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.9% |
| 1996 | 412.16 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 406.49 kilowatt-hours per person | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 408.39 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 396.79 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 430.2 kilowatt-hours per person | +8.4% |
| 2001 | 401.73 kilowatt-hours per person | -6.6% |
| 2002 | 379.28 kilowatt-hours per person | -5.6% |
| 2003 | 393.58 kilowatt-hours per person | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 404.2 kilowatt-hours per person | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 367.86 kilowatt-hours per person | -9.0% |
| 2006 | 373.24 kilowatt-hours per person | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 358.31 kilowatt-hours per person | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 402.04 kilowatt-hours per person | +12.2% |
| 2009 | 356.47 kilowatt-hours per person | -11.3% |
| 2010 | 420.68 kilowatt-hours per person | +18.0% |
| 2011 | 407.04 kilowatt-hours per person | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 394.27 kilowatt-hours per person | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 391.17 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 388.76 kilowatt-hours per person | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 361.84 kilowatt-hours per person | -6.9% |
| 2016 | 385.01 kilowatt-hours per person | +6.4% |
| 2017 | 402.66 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.6% |
| 2018 | 368.76 kilowatt-hours per person | -8.4% |
| 2019 | 419.86 kilowatt-hours per person | +13.9% |
| 2020 | 402.5 kilowatt-hours per person | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 391.6 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 392.59 kilowatt-hours per person | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 382.17 kilowatt-hours per person | -2.7% |
| 2024 | 399.2 kilowatt-hours per person | +4.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 399.2 kilowatt-hours per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 685.71 kilowatt-hours per person, 58% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 399.2 kilowatt-hours per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,598 kilowatt-hours per person, 25% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 352.25 kilowatt-hours per person | 294.94 kilowatt-hours per person | 449.45 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 392.14 kilowatt-hours per person | 343.47 kilowatt-hours per person | 415.33 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 386.69 kilowatt-hours per person | 356.47 kilowatt-hours per person | 430.2 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 394 kilowatt-hours per person | 361.84 kilowatt-hours per person | 420.68 kilowatt-hours per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 393.61 kilowatt-hours per person | 382.17 kilowatt-hours per person | 402.5 kilowatt-hours per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 204 Rwanda 551.53 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 205 Madagascar 513.57 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 206 Niger 511.13 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 208 Chad 382.54 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 209 Somalia 357.35 kilowatt-hours per person compare
- 210 Central African Republic 356.65 kilowatt-hours per person compare
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 primary energy use per person in Malawi?
- Primary energy use per person in Malawi was 399.2 kilowatt-hours per person in 2024, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy use per person recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 449.45 kilowatt-hours per person in 1981.
- What is the lowest primary energy use per person recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 294.94 kilowatt-hours per person in 1988.
- How does Malawi rank for primary energy use per person?
- Malawi ranks 207th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary energy use per person rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy use per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Measured in kilowatt-hours of total energy supply per person.