Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Malawi
Malawi: Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre was 33,316 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Malawi, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 33,316 current US$ per square kilometre for merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 98.0% on the previous year and up 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Malawi peaked at 33,316 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 424.27 current US$ per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Malawi 157th out of 205 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.
Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre in Malawi, year by year
| Year | current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 424.27 current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 424.27 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 424.27 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 604.58 current US$ per square kilometre | +42.5% |
| 1965 | 806.11 current US$ per square kilometre | +33.3% |
| 1966 | 742.47 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.9% |
| 1967 | 742.47 current US$ per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 784.9 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1969 | 912.18 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.2% |
| 1970 | 1,156 current US$ per square kilometre | +26.7% |
| 1971 | 1,146 current US$ per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 1,368 current US$ per square kilometre | +19.4% |
| 1973 | 1,485 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.5% |
| 1974 | 1,994 current US$ per square kilometre | +34.3% |
| 1975 | 2,684 current US$ per square kilometre | +34.6% |
| 1976 | 2,185 current US$ per square kilometre | -18.6% |
| 1977 | 2,493 current US$ per square kilometre | +14.1% |
| 1978 | 3,585 current US$ per square kilometre | +43.8% |
| 1979 | 4,232 current US$ per square kilometre | +18.0% |
| 1980 | 4,656 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.0% |
| 1981 | 3,808 current US$ per square kilometre | -18.2% |
| 1982 | 3,224 current US$ per square kilometre | -15.3% |
| 1983 | 3,299 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 2,874 current US$ per square kilometre | -12.9% |
| 1985 | 3,023 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1986 | 2,758 current US$ per square kilometre | -8.8% |
| 1987 | 3,129 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.5% |
| 1988 | 4,306 current US$ per square kilometre | +37.6% |
| 1989 | 5,335 current US$ per square kilometre | +23.9% |
| 1990 | 6,099 current US$ per square kilometre | +14.3% |
| 1991 | 7,457 current US$ per square kilometre | +22.3% |
| 1992 | 7,796 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 5,791 current US$ per square kilometre | -25.7% |
| 1994 | 5,272 current US$ per square kilometre | -9.0% |
| 1995 | 5,038 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.4% |
| 1996 | 6,619 current US$ per square kilometre | +31.4% |
| 1997 | 8,284 current US$ per square kilometre | +25.2% |
| 1998 | 5,462 current US$ per square kilometre | -34.1% |
| 1999 | 7,138 current US$ per square kilometre | +30.7% |
| 2000 | 5,643 current US$ per square kilometre | -21.0% |
| 2001 | 5,834 current US$ per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 7,446 current US$ per square kilometre | +27.6% |
| 2003 | 8,411 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.0% |
| 2004 | 9,854 current US$ per square kilometre | +17.2% |
| 2005 | 12,526 current US$ per square kilometre | +27.1% |
| 2006 | 13,661 current US$ per square kilometre | +9.1% |
| 2007 | 14,658 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.3% |
| 2008 | 21,563 current US$ per square kilometre | +47.1% |
| 2009 | 22,295 current US$ per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 22,964 current US$ per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 25,742 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.1% |
| 2012 | 28,935 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.4% |
| 2013 | 30,081 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 29,200 current US$ per square kilometre | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 24,077 current US$ per square kilometre | -17.5% |
| 2016 | 23,908 current US$ per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 27,058 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.2% |
| 2018 | 28,490 current US$ per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 2019 | 30,675 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 2020 | 28,405 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 32,594 current US$ per square kilometre | +14.7% |
| 2022 | 16,822 current US$ per square kilometre | -48.4% |
| 2023 | 33,316 current US$ per square kilometre | +98.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 33,316 current US$ per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 14,060 current US$ per square kilometre, 2.4× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 33,316 current US$ per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 21,553 current US$ per square kilometre, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 651.72 current US$ per square kilometre | 424.27 current US$ per square kilometre | 912.18 current US$ per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 2,233 current US$ per square kilometre | 1,146 current US$ per square kilometre | 4,232 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 3,641 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,758 current US$ per square kilometre | 5,335 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 6,496 current US$ per square kilometre | 5,038 current US$ per square kilometre | 8,284 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 12,189 current US$ per square kilometre | 5,643 current US$ per square kilometre | 22,295 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 27,113 current US$ per square kilometre | 22,964 current US$ per square kilometre | 30,675 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 27,784 current US$ per square kilometre | 16,822 current US$ per square kilometre | 33,316 current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 154 Vanuatu 38,802 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 155 Australia 37,364 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 156 Bhutan 34,426 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 158 Laos 33,141 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 159 Syria 32,680 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 160 Kenya 31,995 current US$ per square kilometre compare
More private sector data for Malawi
- Merchandise trade 30.9% (2025)
- Food imports 11.8% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 68.1% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 3.66 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 90.2% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 8.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 947.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 42.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0635 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Malawi?
- Merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre in Malawi was 33,316 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 33,316 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 424.27 current US$ per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre?
- Malawi ranks 157th out of 205 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise imports (current us$), per square kilometre rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Merchandise imports (current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Merchandise imports (current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Merchandise imports (current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Merchandise imports World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Merchandise imports (current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.