Malawi vs Zimbabwe: Land use
Malawi
4.20 million hectares
in 2023
Zimbabwe
4.07 million hectares
in 2023
Malawi rank
63rd
Zimbabwe rank
65th
Land use over time
- Malawi
- Zimbabwe
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 4.20 million hectares against 4.07 million hectares in Zimbabwe, a difference of 132,880 hectares.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Malawi ahead.
Malawi ranks 63rd and Zimbabwe ranks 65th of 224 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Malawi averaged higher in 3 and Zimbabwe in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | Zimbabwe | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.67 million hectares | 1.16 million hectares | 513,010 hectares | Malawi |
| 1970s | 2.07 million hectares | 1.74 million hectares | 331,095 hectares | Malawi |
| 1980s | 2.18 million hectares | 2.50 million hectares | 318,990 hectares | Zimbabwe |
| 1990s | 2.50 million hectares | 3.18 million hectares | 677,670 hectares | Zimbabwe |
| 2000s | 3.25 million hectares | 3.93 million hectares | 675,141 hectares | Zimbabwe |
| 2010s | 3.82 million hectares | 4.09 million hectares | 269,736 hectares | Zimbabwe |
| 2020s | 4.18 million hectares | 4.07 million hectares | 111,670 hectares | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land use, Malawi or Zimbabwe?
- Malawi, at 4.20 million hectares against 4.07 million hectares in Zimbabwe as of 2023.
- What is the difference in land use between Malawi and Zimbabwe?
- 132,880 hectares, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Zimbabwe?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do Malawi and Zimbabwe rank globally for land use?
- Malawi ranks 63rd and Zimbabwe ranks 65th of 224 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Land use. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.