Economy · Public debt · Malawi
Malawi’s public debt was 61.8% of GDP in 2023.
61.8% of GDP
2023
Up 6.2 pp from 2022.
Stale — last updated 8 Oct 2026
In plain words
61.8% of GDP
What it is. Public debt adds up everything the central government owes and compares it with the size of the economy for the year. Because the figure is a ratio, it can climb when the government borrows more and also when GDP grows slowly or the local currency weakens against foreign-currency debt. Debt owed by bodies outside the central government falls outside the measure.
Lower is better. A lower share is better because less national income has to go on interest and repayment, and the government keeps more room to borrow when a shock hits. The latest figure, for 2023, is 61.8% of GDP, up from 55.6% of GDP a year earlier, a rise of 6.2 percentage points. That is the highest reading since 2012. The low over the same span was 24.9% of GDP in 2013.
Why it matters. At 61.8% of GDP, a large part of the government's tax revenue in Malawi goes to servicing past borrowing before it reaches clinics, schools or road repairs. Lenders may charge more for new loans or ask for tighter budgets. Firms and households can feel this through higher interest rates and fewer public services.
| Period | Public debt · Malawi |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 28.5% of GDP |
| 2013 | 24.9% of GDP |
| 2014 | 27.9% of GDP |
| 2015 | 27.3% of GDP |
| 2016 | 37.9% of GDP |
| 2017 | 34.3% of GDP |
| 2018 | 41.7% of GDP |
| 2019 | 44.8% of GDP |
| 2022 | 55.6% of GDP |
| 2023 | 61.8% of GDP |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Strata-AF™ Data, Public debt, Malawi, 2023; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 8 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/economy/public-debt/malawi
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
What this means
Working this out from the published figures…
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Methodology
Central government debt, total, as a share of GDP. Unit: % of GDP. The measure covers central government only.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.