Current account balance (credit less debit), Percent of GDP (Balance) in Malawi
Malawi: Current account balance (credit less debit), Percent of GDP (Balance) was -13.43 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Current account balance (credit less debit), Percent of GDP (Balance) in Malawi, 2000–2027
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
Malawi recorded -13.43 for current account balance (credit less debit), percent of gdp (balance) in 2027.
That represents a change of up 12.9% on the previous year and up 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance (credit less debit), percent of gdp (balance) in Malawi peaked at -1.43 in 2001 and was at its lowest, -18.48, in 2024.
That places Malawi 43rd out of 45 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.
Current account balance (credit less debit), Percent of GDP (Balance) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | -1.73 | — |
| 2001 | -1.43 | -16.9% |
| 2002 | -9.61 | +569.6% |
| 2003 | -7.31 | -23.9% |
| 2004 | -7.41 | +1.4% |
| 2005 | -9.43 | +27.2% |
| 2006 | -12.37 | +31.2% |
| 2007 | -5.84 | -52.8% |
| 2008 | -10.72 | +83.6% |
| 2009 | -7.24 | -32.5% |
| 2010 | -6.1 | -15.8% |
| 2011 | -6.12 | +0.3% |
| 2012 | -6.94 | +13.4% |
| 2013 | -6.5 | -6.4% |
| 2014 | -6.99 | +7.6% |
| 2015 | -12.21 | +74.6% |
| 2016 | -13.1 | +7.3% |
| 2017 | -15.53 | +18.5% |
| 2018 | -12.04 | -22.4% |
| 2019 | -12.61 | +4.7% |
| 2020 | -14.09 | +11.7% |
| 2021 | -15.22 | +8.0% |
| 2022 | -18.2 | +19.6% |
| 2023 | -15.64 | -14.1% |
| 2024 | -18.48 | +18.2% |
| 2025 | -16.47 | -10.9% |
| 2026 | -15.41 | -6.4% |
| 2027 | -13.43 | -12.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's -13.43 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -2.9, 4.6× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Malawi's -13.43 is below the median for low income countries, which is -3.6, 3.7× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Current account balance (credit less debit), Percent of GDP (Balance) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | -569.6% | -1.43 | -9.61 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | -7.31 | -12.37 | -1.43 | 10 |
| 2010s | -9.81 | -15.53 | -6.1 | 10 |
| 2020s | -15.87 | -18.48 | -13.43 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 40 Madagascar -6.63 compare
- 41 Liberia -11.1 compare
- 42 Rwanda -11.7 compare
- 44 Namibia -13.64 compare
- 45 Mozambique -39.6 compare
More financial sector data for Malawi
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 0.1505 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 0.1099 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 0.1505 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance (credit less debit), percent of gdp (balance) in Malawi?
- Current account balance (credit less debit), percent of gdp (balance) in Malawi was -13.43 in 2027, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest current account balance (credit less debit), percent of gdp (balance) recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was -1.43 in 2001.
- What is the lowest current account balance (credit less debit), percent of gdp (balance) recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -18.48 in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for current account balance (credit less debit), percent of gdp (balance)?
- Malawi ranks 43rd out of 45 countries with data for 2027.
- Is current account balance (credit less debit), percent of gdp (balance) rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Current account balance (credit less debit), Percent of GDP (Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Sixth Edition (BPM6)). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook (REO) provides information on recent economic developments and prospects for countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Data for the REO for sub-Saharan Africa are prepared in conjunction with the semi-annual World Economic Outlook (WEO) exercises, spring and fall.