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Government debt in Malawi

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

Malawi's government debt is 78.40 % — #90 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

78.40%

Checked 8 Sept 2026Period 2025

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (general government gross debt, % of GDP)

The central government owes about 0.8 years' worth of the country's entire economic output.

Government debt in Malawi over time

101.50 %59.70 %17.90 %101.50 % · 200217.90 % · 20062002: 101.50 %2003: 84.70 %2004: 74.70 %2005: 70.90 %2006: 17.90 %2007: 18.90 %2008: 23.50 %2009: 23.50 %2010: 19.30 %2011: 20.00 %2012: 28.60 %2013: 35.30 %2014: 33.50 %2015: 35.50 %2016: 37.10 %2017: 40.00 %2018: 40.80 %2019: 41.20 %2020: 53.90 %2021: 66.50 %2022: 75.70 %2023: 86.70 %2024: 87.60 %2025: 78.40 %20022013202578.40 %
24 official observations, 2002 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#90 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
27 %
34 of 124 countries
Latest move
▼ 9.20 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
23.10 pp
peak 101.50 % in 2002
Full series
▼ 23.10 pp
since 2002

In Africa: #14 of 20vs median 54.55 %: +23.85 pp (worse)

Among 124 countries

5 of 124 countries between 12.30 % and 17.86 %4 of 124 countries between 17.86 % and 23.42 %9 of 124 countries between 23.42 % and 28.97 %9 of 124 countries between 28.97 % and 34.53 %9 of 124 countries between 34.53 % and 40.09 %11 of 124 countries between 40.09 % and 45.65 %8 of 124 countries between 45.65 % and 51.21 %11 of 124 countries between 51.21 % and 56.77 %8 of 124 countries between 56.77 % and 62.32 %7 of 124 countries between 62.32 % and 67.88 %6 of 124 countries between 67.88 % and 73.44 %5 of 124 countries between 73.44 % and 79.00 %6 of 124 countries between 79.00 % and 84.56 %7 of 124 countries between 84.56 % and 90.12 %2 of 124 countries between 90.12 % and 95.67 %3 of 124 countries between 95.67 % and 101.23 %4 of 124 countries between 101.23 % and 106.79 %1 of 124 countries between 106.79 % and 112.35 %2 of 124 countries between 112.35 % and 117.91 %1 of 124 countries between 123.47 % and 129.02 %2 of 124 countries between 134.58 % and 140.14 %4 of 124 countries between 140.14 % and 145.70 %median 54.40 %Malawi: ahead of 27 % of the 124 countries with a published government debtMalawi 78.40 %12.30 %145.70 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 36.00 % and 80.30 %. Malawi is ahead of 27 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs Malawi
88 Bahamas73.80 %−4.60 pp
89 Hungary75.20 %−3.20 pp
90 Malawi78.40 %—
91 South Africa78.60 %+0.20 pp
92 Fiji78.70 %+0.30 pp

General government gross debt as a share of GDP (IMF World Economic Outlook, annual).

How to read this figure

Central government debt as a share of GDP (World Bank). General government debt (including local government and social funds) can be meaningfully higher; comparisons across countries are indicative.

Next, about Malawi

Debt per personGDP growthInflation rate
Government debt, all countries ranked →Compare Malawi with another country →Everything about Malawi →
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