Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Malawi
Malawi: Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS was 16.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
16.0%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
49th
of 197 countries
All-time high
21.8%
in 2015
All-time low
0.0%
in 2000
Years of data
16
2000–2024
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Malawi, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 16.0% for proportion of total government spending on essential services in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Malawi peaked at 21.8% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2000.
That places Malawi 49th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.0% | — |
| 2001 | 0.0% | — |
| 2003 | 16.5% | — |
| 2010 | 12.5% | -24.5% |
| 2011 | 15.0% | +20.8% |
| 2012 | 13.6% | -9.3% |
| 2013 | 20.5% | +50.3% |
| 2014 | 16.6% | -19.0% |
| 2015 | 21.8% | +31.3% |
| 2016 | 17.2% | -21.1% |
| 2017 | 14.3% | -16.6% |
| 2018 | 15.8% | +10.4% |
| 2020 | 20.2% | +27.3% |
| 2021 | 17.6% | -12.9% |
| 2023 | 16.0% | -8.9% |
| 2024 | 16.0% | +0.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 16.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 14.9%, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 16.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.4%, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.5% | 0.0% | 16.5% | 3 |
| 2010s | 16.4% | 12.5% | 21.8% | 9 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 16.0% | 20.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 47 Panama 16.3% compare
- 48 Israel 16.1% compare
- 50 Republic of Moldova 16.0% compare
- 50 Moldova 16.0% compare
- 52 Puerto Rico 16.0% compare
More education data for Malawi
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14,528 (2019)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1.25 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.75 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2193 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.75 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in Malawi?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Malawi was 16.0% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 21.8% in 2015.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2000.
- How does Malawi rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- Malawi ranks 49th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, education [UIS methodology] (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).