Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Malawi
Malawi: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita was 0.0008 units per person in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Malawi, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Malawi is 0.0008 units per person, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and up 114.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Malawi peaked at 0.001 units per person in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.0004 units per person, in 2010.
Malawi ranks 157th of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Malawi, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.0007 units per person | — |
| 1989 | 0.0008 units per person | +9.7% |
| 1990 | 0.0007 units per person | -3.9% |
| 1991 | 0.0008 units per person | +10.8% |
| 1992 | 0.001 units per person | +21.4% |
| 1993 | 0.001 units per person | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 0.001 units per person | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 0.0009 units per person | -4.9% |
| 1996 | 0.001 units per person | +11.5% |
| 1997 | 0.0006 units per person | -45.5% |
| 1998 | 0.0006 units per person | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 0.0005 units per person | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 0.0005 units per person | -2.4% |
| 2001 | 0.0006 units per person | +10.6% |
| 2002 | 0.0006 units per person | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 0.0006 units per person | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 0.0005 units per person | -14.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0005 units per person | +13.6% |
| 2006 | 0.0005 units per person | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 0.0005 units per person | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 0.0005 units per person | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 0.0004 units per person | -26.5% |
| 2010 | 0.0004 units per person | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 0.0004 units per person | +24.6% |
| 2012 | 0.0004 units per person | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 0.0004 units per person | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 0.0004 units per person | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 0.0004 units per person | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 0.0008 units per person | +113.2% |
| 2017 | 0.0008 units per person | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 0.0008 units per person | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 0.0008 units per person | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 0.0008 units per person | -2.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 0.0008 units per person is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.0016 units per person, 48% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 0.0008 units per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0013 units per person, 59% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +113.2% | 0.0004 units per person | 0.0008 units per person |
| 1997 | -45.5% | 0.001 units per person | 0.0006 units per person |
| 2009 | -26.5% | 0.0005 units per person | 0.0004 units per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0007 units per person | 0.0007 units per person | 0.0008 units per person | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.0008 units per person | 0.0005 units per person | 0.001 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0005 units per person | 0.0004 units per person | 0.0006 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0006 units per person | 0.0004 units per person | 0.0008 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0008 units per person | 0.0008 units per person | 0.0008 units per person | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 154 Lesotho 0.0009 units per person compare
- 155 Somalia 0.0008 units per person compare
- 156 Zambia 0.0008 units per person compare
- 158 Madagascar 0.0008 units per person compare
- 159 Equatorial Guinea 0.0006 units per person compare
- 160 Burkina Faso 0.0005 units per person compare
More public sector data for Malawi
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 2.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.9237 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2022)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0015 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2016)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Malawi?
- Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Malawi was 0.0008 units per person in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 0.001 units per person in 1996.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0004 units per person in 2010.
- How does Malawi rank for armed forces personnel, total, per capita?
- Malawi ranks 157th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, per capita rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 114.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Armed forces personnel, total, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Armed forces personnel, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Armed forces personnel, total ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Armed forces personnel, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.