Water withdrawals per capita in Malawi
Malawi: Water withdrawals per capita was 64.29 cubic meters per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
64.29 cubic meters per person
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
151st
of 180 countries
All-time high
112.62 cubic meters per person
in 2002
All-time low
64.29 cubic meters per person
in 2023
Years of data
30
1994–2023
Water withdrawals per capita in Malawi, 1994–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in cubic meters per person.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 64.29 cubic meters per person for water withdrawals per capita in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 30 years on record.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 23.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, water withdrawals per capita in Malawi peaked at 112.62 cubic meters per person in 2002 and was at its lowest, 64.29 cubic meters per person, in 2023.
That places Malawi 151st out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.
Water withdrawals per capita in Malawi, year by year
| Year | cubic meters per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 92.08 cubic meters per person | — |
| 1995 | 97.15 cubic meters per person | +5.5% |
| 1996 | 100.08 cubic meters per person | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 102.83 cubic meters per person | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 105.27 cubic meters per person | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 107.37 cubic meters per person | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 109.25 cubic meters per person | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 111.03 cubic meters per person | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 112.62 cubic meters per person | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 110.35 cubic meters per person | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 108.04 cubic meters per person | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 105.67 cubic meters per person | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 102.8 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 99.94 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 97.08 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 94.25 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 91.51 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 88.88 cubic meters per person | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 86.37 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 83.95 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 81.63 cubic meters per person | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 79.41 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 77.28 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 75.21 cubic meters per person | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 73.23 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 71.31 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2020 | 69.46 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 67.68 cubic meters per person | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 65.96 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 64.29 cubic meters per person | -2.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 64.29 cubic meters per person is above the median for low income countries, which is 64.29 cubic meters per person, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 64.29 cubic meters per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 59.54 cubic meters per person, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 100.8 cubic meters per person | 92.08 cubic meters per person | 107.37 cubic meters per person | 6 |
| 2000s | 105.1 cubic meters per person | 94.25 cubic meters per person | 112.62 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.88 cubic meters per person | 71.31 cubic meters per person | 91.51 cubic meters per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.85 cubic meters per person | 64.29 cubic meters per person | 69.46 cubic meters per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 148 Tanzania 77.82 cubic meters per person compare
- 149 Palestine 73.21 cubic meters per person compare
- 150 Luxembourg 68.94 cubic meters per person compare
- 152 Singapore 62.59 cubic meters per person compare
- 153 Guinea 61.78 cubic meters per person compare
- 154 South Sudan 57.3 cubic meters per person 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)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is water withdrawals per capita in Malawi?
- Water withdrawals per capita in Malawi was 64.29 cubic meters per person in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 112.62 cubic meters per person in 2002.
- What is the lowest water withdrawals per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.29 cubic meters per person in 2023.
- How does Malawi rank for water withdrawals per capita?
- Malawi ranks 151st out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is water withdrawals per capita rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – AQUASTAT (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Water withdrawals per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Water withdrawn each year for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses, divided by the population.