Malawi: GDP deflator (base year varies by country)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Malawi's GDP deflator (base year varies by country) rose 30.4% on 2024 (from 247.56 to 322.74).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +23.3% and a typical year strayed about 22.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above 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 112.7% in 2002. 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 22.51 a year. A straight line explains 81% 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 27th highest value of the 186 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

• Nicaragua — 23rd of 186: 367.43
• Madagascar — 24th of 186: 358.35
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 25th of 186: 342.89
• Brazil — 27th of 186: 269.14
• Guinea — 28th of 186: 264.34
• Libya — 29th of 186: 263.98

What this measures

The GDP implicit deflator is the ratio of GDP in current local currency to GDP in constant local currency. The base year varies by country. This indicator is expressed as a ratio (a÷b).

All 46 values

GDP deflator (base year varies by country) in nearby economies

• Angola — 766.8 (2025)
• Benin — 116.78 (2025)
• Botswana — 136.44 (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 143.53 (2025)
• Burundi — 718.81 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 121.54 (2025)
• Cameroon — 129.49 (2025)
• Central African Republic — 213.73 (2025)
• Chad — 120.67 (2025)
• Comoros — 164.5 (2025)

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

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Questions people ask

What is Malawi's GDP deflator (base year varies by country)?

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

How has it changed since 1980?

It is up 398,174% from 0.08 in 1980 (20.23% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 322.74 in 2025 and the lowest 0.08 in 1980.

How does Malawi rank?

27th highest of 186 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in GDP deflator (base year varies by country) unusual for Malawi?

In 2025, Malawi's GDP deflator (base year varies by country) rose 30.4% on 2024 (from 247.56 to 322.74). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +23.3% and a typical year strayed about 22.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above 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 NY.GDP.DEFL.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) 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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