Malawi: Consumer price index (2010 = 100)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Malawi's consumer price index (2010 = 100) rose 290.23 on 2024 (from 1,023 to 1,313).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +33.94 and a typical year strayed about 54.04 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 4.7 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 290.23 in 2025. 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 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 99.4 a year. A straight line explains 83% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2025, Malawi had the 6th highest value of the 169 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 2025 ranking

• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 2nd of 169: 4,030
• Suriname — 3rd of 169: 1,855
• Türkiye — 4th of 169: 1,784
• Angola — 6th of 169: 1,240
• Ethiopia — 7th of 169: 1,176
• Haiti — 8th of 169: 914.12

What this measures

Index of the prices of consumption goods and services, as compared to a certain reference period (2010=100).

Limitations: Consumer price indexes should be interpreted with caution. The definition of a household, the basket of goods, and the geographic (urban or rural) and income group coverage of consumer price surveys can vary widely by country. In addition, weights are derived from household expenditure surveys, which, for budgetary reasons, tend to be conducted infrequently in developing countries, impairing comparability over time. Although useful for measuring consumer price inflation within a country, consumer price indexes are of less value in comparing countries.

All 46 values

Consumer price index (2010 = 100) in nearby economies

• Angola — 1,240 (2025)
• Benin — 123.58 (2025)
• Botswana — 202.64 (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 136.48 (2025)
• Burundi — 515.21 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 131.11 (2025)
• Cameroon — 153.29 (2025)
• Central African Republic — 179.37 (2025)
• Chad — 149.69 (2025)
• Comoros — 157.9 (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 133.85 (2016)

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)
• Lending interest rate (%)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Malawi's consumer price index (2010 = 100)?

1,313 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1980?

It is up 278,385% from 0.47 in 1980 (19.28% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1,313 in 2025 and the lowest 0.47 in 1980.

How does Malawi rank?

6th highest of 169 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in consumer price index (2010 = 100) unusual for Malawi?

In 2025, Malawi's consumer price index (2010 = 100) rose 290.23 on 2024 (from 1,023 to 1,313). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +33.94 and a typical year strayed about 54.04 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 4.7 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FP.CPI.TOTL, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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