Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Malawi
Malawi: Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access was 6.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Malawi, 1992–2024
Source: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of rural population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Malawi is 6.4%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.9% on the previous year and up 20.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Malawi peaked at 11.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1999.
That places Malawi 203rd out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 0.9% | — |
| 1999 | 0.6% | -30.1% |
| 2000 | 0.7% | +12.6% |
| 2001 | 1.3% | +85.7% |
| 2002 | 1.5% | +15.4% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | -46.7% |
| 2004 | 2.8% | +250.0% |
| 2005 | 2.1% | -25.0% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | +23.8% |
| 2008 | 2.8% | +7.7% |
| 2009 | 3.1% | +10.7% |
| 2010 | 3.9% | +25.8% |
| 2011 | 3.0% | -23.1% |
| 2012 | 1.8% | -40.0% |
| 2013 | 3.8% | +111.1% |
| 2014 | 5.3% | +39.5% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | -35.8% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | +44.1% |
| 2017 | 3.7% | -24.5% |
| 2018 | 11.7% | +216.2% |
| 2019 | 4.1% | -65.0% |
| 2020 | 3.5% | -14.6% |
| 2021 | 5.6% | +60.0% |
| 2022 | 5.8% | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 6.1% | +5.2% |
| 2024 | 6.4% | +4.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.0% | 0.7% | 3.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 4.6% | 1.8% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 3.5% | 6.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 200 Mozambique 12.3% compare
- 201 Niger 10.8% compare
- 202 Liberia 9.2% compare
- 204 Equatorial Guinea 5.1% compare
- 205 Burundi 3.6% compare
- 206 Central African Republic 2.0% 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 share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Malawi?
- Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Malawi was 6.4% in 2024, according to SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 11.7% in 2018.
- What is the lowest share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1999.
- How does Malawi rank for share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access?
- Malawi ranks 203rd out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.8%. 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, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access. 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
Having access to electricity is defined in international statistics as having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.