Water productivity, GDP per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in Malawi
Malawi: Water productivity, GDP per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal was 8.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
8.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
140th
of 179 countries
All-time high
8.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal
in 2022
All-time low
3.42 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal
in 2002
Years of data
29
1994–2022
Water productivity, GDP per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in Malawi, 1994–2022
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization (AQUASTAT), World Bank, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal.
Analysis
In 2022, water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in Malawi stood at 8.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 43.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in Malawi peaked at 8.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal in 2022 and was at its lowest, 3.42 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal, in 2002.
Malawi ranks 140th of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Water productivity, GDP per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in Malawi, year by year
| Year | constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 3.58 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | — |
| 1995 | 3.97 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +10.8% |
| 1996 | 4.05 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 4.01 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 3.98 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 3.93 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 3.83 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 3.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -8.7% |
| 2002 | 3.42 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 3.6 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 3.78 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +4.9% |
| 2005 | 3.88 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 4.07 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +4.7% |
| 2007 | 4.46 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +9.6% |
| 2008 | 4.8 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +7.6% |
| 2009 | 5.2 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +8.3% |
| 2010 | 5.55 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +6.9% |
| 2011 | 5.83 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 5.94 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 6.26 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 6.61 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 6.8 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 6.96 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 7.24 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 7.56 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 7.99 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +5.7% |
| 2020 | 8.05 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 8.42 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +4.6% |
| 2022 | 8.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | +0.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 8.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal is below the median for low income countries, which is 10.32 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal, 82% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 8.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.37 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal, 42% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.92 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 3.58 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 4.05 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 6 |
| 2000s | 4.05 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 3.42 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 5.2 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.67 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 5.55 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 7.99 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.32 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 8.05 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 8.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 137 Libya 8.84 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
- 138 Peru 8.62 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
- 139 Bangladesh 8.52 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
- 141 Senegal 8.26 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
- 142 Chile 7.89 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
- 143 Thailand 7.86 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal compare
More environment data for Malawi
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.9153 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.8098 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.07 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 5.3 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in Malawi?
- Water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal in Malawi was 8.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal in 2022, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (AQUASTAT), World Bank, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 8.5 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal in 2022.
- What is the lowest water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.42 constant 2015 US$ GDP per cubic meter of total freshwater withdrawal in 2002.
- How does Malawi rank for water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal?
- Malawi ranks 140th out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
- Is water productivity, gdp per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 43.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization (AQUASTAT), World Bank, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Water productivity, GDP per cubic meter of freshwater withdrawal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Water productivity is calculated as total gross domestic product (GDP), measured in constant 2015 US$ divided by annual total water withdrawal.