Lending interest rate in Malawi
Malawi: Lending interest rate was 37.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Lending interest rate in Malawi, 1979–2024
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, lending interest rate in Malawi stood at 37.1%.
That represents a change of up 10.5% on the previous year and down 16.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lending interest rate in Malawi peaked at 56.2% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 16.5%, in 1979.
That places Malawi 5th out of 149 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Lending interest rate in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 16.5% | — |
| 1980 | 16.7% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 18.5% | +11.0% |
| 1982 | 18.5% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 18.3% | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 16.5% | -10.0% |
| 1985 | 18.4% | +11.4% |
| 1986 | 19.0% | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 19.5% | +2.6% |
| 1988 | 22.2% | +14.1% |
| 1989 | 23.0% | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 21.0% | -8.7% |
| 1991 | 20.0% | -4.8% |
| 1992 | 22.0% | +10.0% |
| 1993 | 29.5% | +34.1% |
| 1994 | 31.0% | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 47.3% | +52.7% |
| 1996 | 45.3% | -4.2% |
| 1997 | 28.2% | -37.7% |
| 1998 | 37.7% | +33.3% |
| 1999 | 53.6% | +42.3% |
| 2000 | 53.1% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 56.2% | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 50.5% | -10.0% |
| 2003 | 48.9% | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 36.8% | -24.7% |
| 2005 | 33.1% | -10.2% |
| 2006 | 32.2% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 27.7% | -14.1% |
| 2008 | 25.3% | -8.8% |
| 2009 | 25.2% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 24.6% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 23.8% | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 32.3% | +36.1% |
| 2013 | 46.0% | +42.3% |
| 2014 | 44.3% | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 44.4% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 44.1% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 38.6% | -12.5% |
| 2018 | 32.3% | -16.3% |
| 2019 | 25.7% | -20.5% |
| 2020 | 24.2% | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 23.9% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 25.4% | +6.2% |
| 2023 | 33.5% | +32.3% |
| 2024 | 37.1% | +10.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 37.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 16.0%, 2.3× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 37.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.4%, 3.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.5% | 16.5% | 16.5% | 1 |
| 1980s | 19.1% | 16.5% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.6% | 20.0% | 53.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 38.9% | 25.2% | 56.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.6% | 23.8% | 46.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.8% | 23.9% | 37.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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 lending interest rate in Malawi?
- Lending interest rate in Malawi was 37.1% in 2024, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest lending interest rate recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 56.2% in 2001.
- What is the lowest lending interest rate recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.5% in 1979.
- How does Malawi rank for lending interest rate?
- Malawi ranks 5th out of 149 countries with data for 2024.
- Is lending interest rate rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Lending interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Lending rate is the bank rate that usually meets the short- and medium-term financing needs of the private sector. This rate is normally differentiated according to creditworthiness of borrowers and objectives of financing. The terms and conditions attached to these rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.