Land used for agriculture in Malawi
Malawi: Land used for agriculture was 4.36 million in 2010. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2010)
4.36 million
World rank
84th
of 179 countries
All-time high
4.36 million
in 2010
All-time low
594,281
in 1780
Years of data
24
1780–2010
Land used for agriculture in Malawi, 1780–2010
Source: Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 4.36 million for land used for agriculture in 2010. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land used for agriculture in Malawi peaked at 4.36 million in 2010 and was at its lowest, 594,281, in 1780.
That places Malawi 84th out of 179 countries with data for 2010, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Land used for agriculture in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1780 | 594,281 | — |
| 1790 | 601,546 | +1.2% |
| 1800 | 609,051 | +1.2% |
| 1810 | 617,242 | +1.3% |
| 1820 | 640,055 | +3.7% |
| 1830 | 664,802 | +3.9% |
| 1840 | 698,565 | +5.1% |
| 1850 | 735,397 | +5.3% |
| 1860 | 775,236 | +5.4% |
| 1870 | 844,353 | +8.9% |
| 1880 | 920,049 | +9.0% |
| 1890 | 1.00 million | +9.1% |
| 1900 | 1.10 million | +9.1% |
| 1910 | 1.20 million | +9.2% |
| 1920 | 1.42 million | +18.6% |
| 1930 | 1.71 million | +20.6% |
| 1940 | 2.09 million | +22.2% |
| 1950 | 2.47 million | +18.3% |
| 1960 | 2.92 million | +18.3% |
| 1970 | 2.85 million | -2.4% |
| 1980 | 3.10 million | +8.6% |
| 1990 | 3.31 million | +6.8% |
| 2000 | 3.81 million | +15.1% |
| 2010 | 4.36 million | +14.4% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 4.36 million is below the median for low income countries, which is 13.18 million, 33% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 4.36 million is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.08 million, 43% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 594,281 | 594,281 | 594,281 | 1 |
| 1790s | 601,546 | 601,546 | 601,546 | 1 |
| 1800s | 609,051 | 609,051 | 609,051 | 1 |
| 1810s | 617,242 | 617,242 | 617,242 | 1 |
| 1820s | 640,055 | 640,055 | 640,055 | 1 |
| 1830s | 664,802 | 664,802 | 664,802 | 1 |
| 1840s | 698,565 | 698,565 | 698,565 | 1 |
| 1850s | 735,397 | 735,397 | 735,397 | 1 |
| 1860s | 775,236 | 775,236 | 775,236 | 1 |
| 1870s | 844,353 | 844,353 | 844,353 | 1 |
| 1880s | 920,049 | 920,049 | 920,049 | 1 |
| 1890s | 1.00 million | 1.00 million | 1.00 million | 1 |
| 1900s | 1.10 million | 1.10 million | 1.10 million | 1 |
| 1910s | 1.20 million | 1.20 million | 1.20 million | 1 |
| 1920s | 1.42 million | 1.42 million | 1.42 million | 1 |
| 1930s | 1.71 million | 1.71 million | 1.71 million | 1 |
| 1940s | 2.09 million | 2.09 million | 2.09 million | 1 |
| 1950s | 2.47 million | 2.47 million | 2.47 million | 1 |
| 1960s | 2.92 million | 2.92 million | 2.92 million | 1 |
| 1970s | 2.85 million | 2.85 million | 2.85 million | 1 |
| 1980s | 3.10 million | 3.10 million | 3.10 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 3.31 million | 3.31 million | 3.31 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 3.81 million | 3.81 million | 3.81 million | 1 |
| 2010s | 4.36 million | 4.36 million | 4.36 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 81 Hungary 5.10 million compare
- 82 Central African Republic 5.10 million compare
- 83 Philippines 4.86 million compare
- 85 Azerbaijan 4.30 million compare
- 86 Tajikistan 4.05 million compare
- 87 Greece 3.88 million 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 land used for agriculture in Malawi?
- Land used for agriculture in Malawi was 4.36 million in 2010, according to Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land used for agriculture recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 4.36 million in 2010.
- What is the lowest land used for agriculture recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 594,281 in 1780.
- How does Malawi rank for land used for agriculture?
- Malawi ranks 84th out of 179 countries with data for 2010.
- Is land used for agriculture rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Land used for agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Agricultural land use is the sum of croplands and pasture – land used for grazing livestock. It is measured in hectares.