Access to electricity, rural in Malawi
Malawi: Access to electricity, rural was 6.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Access to electricity, rural in Malawi, 1992–2024
Source: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of rural population.
Analysis
In 2024, access to electricity, rural in Malawi stood at 6.4%.
That represents a change of up 4.9% on the previous year and up 20.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, access to electricity, rural in Malawi peaked at 11.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1999.
Malawi ranks 207th of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Access to electricity, rural 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
- 204 Mozambique 12.3% compare
- 205 Niger 10.8% compare
- 206 Liberia 9.2% compare
- 208 Equatorial Guinea 5.1% compare
- 209 Burundi 3.6% compare
- 210 Central African Republic 2.0% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 24.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3003 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 201.66 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.8241 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is access to electricity, rural in Malawi?
- Access to electricity, rural in Malawi was 6.4% in 2024, according to SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest access to electricity, rural recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 11.7% in 2018.
- What is the lowest access to electricity, rural recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1999.
- How does Malawi rank for access to electricity, rural?
- Malawi ranks 207th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is access to electricity, rural 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 (WB), published as part of Access to electricity, rural (% of rural population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Access to electricity, rural is the percentage of rural population with access to electricity.