Primary energy use in Malawi
Malawi: Primary energy use was 8.64 terawatt-hours in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
8.64 terawatt-hours
Change on year
up 7.2%
World rank
159th
of 219 countries
All-time high
8.64 terawatt-hours
in 2024
All-time low
2.29 terawatt-hours
in 1984
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Primary energy use in Malawi, 1980–2024
Source: Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary energy use in Malawi is 8.64 terawatt-hours, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.2% on the previous year and up 33.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy use in Malawi peaked at 8.64 terawatt-hours in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.29 terawatt-hours, in 1984.
Malawi ranks 159th of 219 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Primary energy use in Malawi, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.75 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1981 | 2.93 terawatt-hours | +6.4% |
| 1982 | 2.67 terawatt-hours | -8.7% |
| 1983 | 2.35 terawatt-hours | -12.3% |
| 1984 | 2.29 terawatt-hours | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 2.62 terawatt-hours | +14.1% |
| 1986 | 2.51 terawatt-hours | -4.1% |
| 1987 | 2.57 terawatt-hours | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 2.58 terawatt-hours | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 3.02 terawatt-hours | +17.2% |
| 1990 | 3.28 terawatt-hours | +8.4% |
| 1991 | 3.85 terawatt-hours | +17.4% |
| 1992 | 3.9 terawatt-hours | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 3.78 terawatt-hours | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 4.02 terawatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 1995 | 4.22 terawatt-hours | +4.8% |
| 1996 | 4.27 terawatt-hours | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 4.29 terawatt-hours | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 4.41 terawatt-hours | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 4.38 terawatt-hours | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 4.87 terawatt-hours | +11.1% |
| 2001 | 4.66 terawatt-hours | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 4.51 terawatt-hours | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 4.79 terawatt-hours | +6.4% |
| 2004 | 5.05 terawatt-hours | +5.4% |
| 2005 | 4.72 terawatt-hours | -6.5% |
| 2006 | 4.93 terawatt-hours | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 4.86 terawatt-hours | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 5.62 terawatt-hours | +15.5% |
| 2009 | 5.13 terawatt-hours | -8.7% |
| 2010 | 6.24 terawatt-hours | +21.5% |
| 2011 | 6.21 terawatt-hours | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 6.19 terawatt-hours | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 6.32 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 6.46 terawatt-hours | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 6.18 terawatt-hours | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 6.76 terawatt-hours | +9.3% |
| 2017 | 7.26 terawatt-hours | +7.5% |
| 2018 | 6.83 terawatt-hours | -5.9% |
| 2019 | 7.99 terawatt-hours | +16.9% |
| 2020 | 7.86 terawatt-hours | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 7.85 terawatt-hours | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 8.08 terawatt-hours | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 8.07 terawatt-hours | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 8.64 terawatt-hours | +7.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 8.64 terawatt-hours is below the median for low income countries, which is 13.82 terawatt-hours, 63% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 8.64 terawatt-hours is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.78 terawatt-hours, 42% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.63 terawatt-hours | 2.29 terawatt-hours | 3.02 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.04 terawatt-hours | 3.28 terawatt-hours | 4.41 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.91 terawatt-hours | 4.51 terawatt-hours | 5.62 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.65 terawatt-hours | 6.18 terawatt-hours | 7.99 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.1 terawatt-hours | 7.85 terawatt-hours | 8.64 terawatt-hours | 5 |
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 primary energy use in Malawi?
- Primary energy use in Malawi was 8.64 terawatt-hours in 2024, according to Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy use recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 8.64 terawatt-hours in 2024.
- What is the lowest primary energy use recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.29 terawatt-hours in 1984.
- How does Malawi rank for primary energy use?
- Malawi ranks 159th out of 219 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary energy use rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.8%. 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); Smil (2017); U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours of total energy supply.