The number of Malawians unable to meet their basic needs rose by about 600,000 between the 2019/20 and 2024/25 household surveys to reach 10.5 million, according to a World Bank brief published in October 2026.
The increase came even as the national poverty rate fell from 50.7% to 47.3%. The World Bank attributed the divergence to population growth of about 2.6% a year, which expanded the population faster than the proportional improvement in living standards.
Food poverty worsened. The share of people whose consumption remained below the cost of the minimum food basket rose from 20.5% to 24%. The average shortfall from that threshold also widened, while the Gini index increased from 37.9 to 39.9, indicating greater consumption inequality.
Geographic gaps remain pronounced. The national survey put rural poverty at 52.6%, compared with 20.9% in urban areas. The Southern Region recorded the highest regional rate at 55.8%, rising to 62.3% in its rural areas.
The World Bank linked the deterioration to weak economic performance and repeated shocks. Since 2020, Malawi’s economy has grown by an average of 2.2% a year, below population growth. Households have also faced the pandemic, three major cyclones, the 2024 El Niño drought and average inflation of 28.4% in 2025.
Some social indicators improved between the two surveys. Access to improved drinking water rose to 91.2% of households, electricity connections reached 14% and adult literacy increased to 79.3%. The World Bank forecasts growth of 2.3% in 2026 and 2.7% in 2027, the first year in which output growth would slightly exceed population growth.