Per capita meat and fish consumption in Malawi
Malawi: Per capita meat and fish consumption was 4.66 kilograms per year per capita in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
4.66 kilograms per year per capita
Change on year
down 29.4%
World rank
162nd
of 192 countries
All-time high
10.31 kilograms per year per capita
in 2018
All-time low
0.6116 kilograms per year per capita
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Per capita meat and fish consumption in Malawi, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per year per capita.
Analysis
In 2023, per capita meat and fish consumption in Malawi stood at 4.66 kilograms per year per capita.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 29.4% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita meat and fish consumption in Malawi peaked at 10.31 kilograms per year per capita in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.6116 kilograms per year per capita, in 1961.
That places Malawi 162nd out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Per capita meat and fish consumption in Malawi, year by year
| Year | kilograms per year per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.6116 kilograms per year per capita | — |
| 1962 | 0.6405 kilograms per year per capita | +4.7% |
| 1963 | 0.6597 kilograms per year per capita | +3.0% |
| 1964 | 0.6692 kilograms per year per capita | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 0.6985 kilograms per year per capita | +4.4% |
| 1966 | 0.7279 kilograms per year per capita | +4.2% |
| 1967 | 0.7474 kilograms per year per capita | +2.7% |
| 1968 | 0.7482 kilograms per year per capita | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 1.22 kilograms per year per capita | +62.7% |
| 1970 | 1.28 kilograms per year per capita | +5.2% |
| 1971 | 1.22 kilograms per year per capita | -4.9% |
| 1972 | 1.23 kilograms per year per capita | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 1.28 kilograms per year per capita | +3.8% |
| 1974 | 1.31 kilograms per year per capita | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 1.33 kilograms per year per capita | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 1.37 kilograms per year per capita | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 1.42 kilograms per year per capita | +4.0% |
| 1978 | 1.44 kilograms per year per capita | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 1.48 kilograms per year per capita | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 1.43 kilograms per year per capita | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 1.41 kilograms per year per capita | -2.0% |
| 1982 | 1.37 kilograms per year per capita | -2.2% |
| 1983 | 1.34 kilograms per year per capita | -2.7% |
| 1984 | 1.31 kilograms per year per capita | -2.0% |
| 1985 | 1.29 kilograms per year per capita | -1.7% |
| 1986 | 1.27 kilograms per year per capita | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 1.23 kilograms per year per capita | -3.3% |
| 1988 | 1.21 kilograms per year per capita | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 1.22 kilograms per year per capita | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 1.19 kilograms per year per capita | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 1.31 kilograms per year per capita | +10.7% |
| 1992 | 1.17 kilograms per year per capita | -10.6% |
| 1993 | 1.24 kilograms per year per capita | +5.5% |
| 1994 | 1.3 kilograms per year per capita | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 1.35 kilograms per year per capita | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 1.38 kilograms per year per capita | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 1.4 kilograms per year per capita | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 1.41 kilograms per year per capita | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 1.42 kilograms per year per capita | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 1.35 kilograms per year per capita | -4.6% |
| 2001 | 1.39 kilograms per year per capita | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 0.8031 kilograms per year per capita | -42.4% |
| 2003 | 0.9243 kilograms per year per capita | +15.1% |
| 2004 | 1.27 kilograms per year per capita | +37.1% |
| 2005 | 1.25 kilograms per year per capita | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 0.847 kilograms per year per capita | -32.1% |
| 2007 | 1.01 kilograms per year per capita | +19.3% |
| 2008 | 1.37 kilograms per year per capita | +35.2% |
| 2009 | 1.49 kilograms per year per capita | +9.0% |
| 2010 | 1.61 kilograms per year per capita | +8.2% |
| 2011 | 3.66 kilograms per year per capita | +127.3% |
| 2012 | 4.74 kilograms per year per capita | +29.5% |
| 2013 | 4.52 kilograms per year per capita | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 4.68 kilograms per year per capita | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 5.77 kilograms per year per capita | +23.3% |
| 2016 | 4.69 kilograms per year per capita | -18.7% |
| 2017 | 7.22 kilograms per year per capita | +53.9% |
| 2018 | 10.31 kilograms per year per capita | +42.8% |
| 2019 | 5.54 kilograms per year per capita | -46.3% |
| 2020 | 5.32 kilograms per year per capita | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 7.17 kilograms per year per capita | +34.8% |
| 2022 | 6.6 kilograms per year per capita | -7.9% |
| 2023 | 4.66 kilograms per year per capita | -29.4% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 4.66 kilograms per year per capita is above the median for low income countries, which is 2.5 kilograms per year per capita, 1.9× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 4.66 kilograms per year per capita is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.66 kilograms per year per capita, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita meat and fish consumption in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +127.3% | 1.61 kilograms per year per capita | 3.66 kilograms per year per capita |
| 1969 | +62.7% | 0.7482 kilograms per year per capita | 1.22 kilograms per year per capita |
| 2017 | +53.9% | 4.69 kilograms per year per capita | 7.22 kilograms per year per capita |
| 2019 | -46.3% | 10.31 kilograms per year per capita | 5.54 kilograms per year per capita |
| 2002 | -42.4% | 1.39 kilograms per year per capita | 0.8031 kilograms per year per capita |
| 2018 | +42.8% | 7.22 kilograms per year per capita | 10.31 kilograms per year per capita |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.7467 kilograms per year per capita | 0.6116 kilograms per year per capita | 1.22 kilograms per year per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.34 kilograms per year per capita | 1.22 kilograms per year per capita | 1.48 kilograms per year per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.31 kilograms per year per capita | 1.21 kilograms per year per capita | 1.43 kilograms per year per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.32 kilograms per year per capita | 1.17 kilograms per year per capita | 1.42 kilograms per year per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.17 kilograms per year per capita | 0.8031 kilograms per year per capita | 1.49 kilograms per year per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.27 kilograms per year per capita | 1.61 kilograms per year per capita | 10.31 kilograms per year per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.94 kilograms per year per capita | 4.66 kilograms per year per capita | 7.17 kilograms per year per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 159 Syria 5.34 kilograms per year per capita compare
- 160 Bhutan 5.34 kilograms per year per capita compare
- 161 East Timor 5.13 kilograms per year per capita compare
- 163 Tajikistan 4.56 kilograms per year per capita compare
- 164 Eswatini 4.55 kilograms per year per capita compare
- 165 Cameroon 4.23 kilograms per year per capita 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 per capita meat and fish consumption in Malawi?
- Per capita meat and fish consumption in Malawi was 4.66 kilograms per year per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita meat and fish consumption recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 10.31 kilograms per year per capita in 2018.
- What is the lowest per capita meat and fish consumption recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6116 kilograms per year per capita in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for per capita meat and fish consumption?
- Malawi ranks 162nd out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita meat and fish consumption rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita meat and fish consumption. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Quantity that is available for consumption at the end of the supply chain. It does not account for consumer waste, so the quantity that is actually consumed may be lower.