Malawi: Borrowers from commercial banks (per 1,000 adults)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 99.94% from 12.42 in 2019 (14.86% a year on average, compounded). Since 2007 it is up 45.55% from 17.06 in 2007 (2.23% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 6 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Malawi's borrowers from commercial banks (per 1,000 adults) fell 2.71 on 2023 (from 27.55 to 24.84).

Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2010 to 2023), the average change was −1.15 and a typical year strayed about 9.89 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.66 in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 24.96 in 2017. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 1% of the movement over 9 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Malawi had the 73rd highest value of the 78 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Malawi in the 2024 ranking

• Djibouti — 70th of 78: 42.46
• Solomon Islands — 71st of 78: 40.11
• Nigeria — 72nd of 78: 31.08
• Comoros — 74th of 78: 24.09
• Pakistan — 75th of 78: 23.34
• Guinea — 76th of 78: 22.48

What this measures

Borrowers from commercial banks are the reported number of resident customers that are nonfinancial corporations (public and private) and households who obtained loans from commercial banks and other banks functioning as commercial banks.

Limitations: For many countries data cover the total number of loan accounts due to lack of information on loan account holders. For several countries, data cover all borrowers including commercial banks, credit unions and financial cooperatives, deposit taking microfinance institutions, and other deposit takers. These include all resident financial corporations and quasi-corporations (except the central bank) that are mainly engaged in financial intermediation and that issue liabilities included in the national definition of broad money.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.

All 12 values

Borrowers from commercial banks (per 1,000 adults) in nearby economies

• Botswana — 196.25 (2024)
• Burundi — 19.59 (2020)
• Cabo Verde — 208.75 (2022)
• Cameroon — 37.97 (2020)
• Chad — 7.96 (2022)
• Comoros — 24.09 (2024)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 9.04 (2018)
• Congo, Rep. — 61.25 (2022)
• Equatorial Guinea — 63.84 (2022)
• Eswatini

More financial sector data for Malawi

• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$1,751 (2025)
• Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$1,161 (2023)
• Net domestic credit (current LCU) — 7.84 trillion (2024)
• Net foreign assets (current LCU) — -1.65 trillion (2024)
• Broad money (current LCU) — 5.34 trillion (2024)
• Claims on central government (annual growth as % of broad money) — 49.15% (2024)
• Claims on private sector (annual growth as % of broad money) — 9.6% (2024)
• Broad money (annual % growth) — 45.13% (2024)
• Broad money to total reserves ratio — 3.46 (2020)
• Consumer price index (2010 = 100)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Malawi's borrowers from commercial banks (per 1,000 adults)?

24.84 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2007?

It is up 45.55% from 17.06 in 2007 (2.23% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 37.41 in 2016 and the lowest 11.84 in 2018.

How does Malawi rank?

73rd highest of 78 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in borrowers from commercial banks (per 1,000 adults) unusual for Malawi?

In 2024, Malawi's borrowers from commercial banks (per 1,000 adults) fell 2.71 on 2023 (from 27.55 to 24.84). Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2010 to 2023), the average change was −1.15 and a typical year strayed about 9.89 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FB.CBK.BRWR.P3, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Financial Access Survey, International Monetary Fund (IMF), uri: https://data.imf.org/en/datasets/IMF.STA:FAS Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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