Malawi Population Pyramid 2017
Malawi in 2017
In 2017, Malawi had a total population of 18,039,715 people. Over the previous ten years the population grew by 32.9%, up from 13,576,343 in 2007.
Half of the population was younger than 17.4 years; 44.6% were children under 15 and 2.9% were 65 or older. This is an expansive pyramid — each cohort of children is larger than the one above it, the signature of high birth rates and rapid growth.
Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.
The fertility rate of Malawi was 3.65 births per woman in 2023, above the 2.1 needed to replace each generation.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
A child born there in 2023 could expect to live 67.4 years on average (70.6 years for girls, 64.1 for boys).
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
156,059 immigrants live in Malawi, 0.7% of the population.
| Mozambique | 39,156 |
| Zambia | 30,614 |
| D.R. Congo | 27,099 |
| Zimbabwe | 26,561 |
| Burundi | 9,834 |
427,573 people born in Malawi live in other countries.
| South Africa | 220,437 |
| Zimbabwe | 111,872 |
| Mozambique | 65,284 |
| Zambia | 17,796 |
| Tanzania | 6,678 |
Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.
| Country | Population | Median age | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 18,039,715 | 17.4 | |
| Zambia | 17,441,320 | 17.5 | |
| Somalia | 14,916,630 | 16.2 | |
| Zimbabwe | 14,812,482 | 18.1 | |
| Rwanda | 12,202,061 | 19.6 |





