Real interest rate in Malawi
Malawi: Real interest rate was 10.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in Malawi, 1981–2024
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for real interest rate in Malawi is 10.0%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 184.8% on the previous year and down 48.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in Malawi peaked at 35.0% in 2003 and was at its lowest, -29.2%, in 2002.
That places Malawi 26th out of 149 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Real interest rate in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 1.8% | — |
| 1982 | 8.1% | +347.9% |
| 1983 | 6.4% | -20.7% |
| 1984 | 3.3% | -48.2% |
| 1985 | 8.7% | +162.3% |
| 1986 | 4.8% | -44.2% |
| 1987 | 2.4% | -50.8% |
| 1988 | -6.7% | -383.6% |
| 1989 | 0.4% | -105.9% |
| 1990 | 9.3% | +2233.5% |
| 1991 | 8.4% | -10.0% |
| 1992 | 7.7% | -8.4% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | -86.6% |
| 1994 | 3.8% | +270.1% |
| 1995 | -16.9% | -540.7% |
| 1996 | -4.6% | -72.7% |
| 1997 | 6.1% | -233.3% |
| 1998 | 15.2% | +147.0% |
| 1999 | 9.9% | -34.4% |
| 2000 | 17.3% | +74.0% |
| 2001 | 24.3% | +40.5% |
| 2002 | -29.2% | -220.2% |
| 2003 | 35.0% | -219.6% |
| 2004 | 19.1% | -45.2% |
| 2005 | 20.2% | +5.4% |
| 2006 | 10.2% | -49.3% |
| 2007 | 22.7% | +121.6% |
| 2008 | 11.9% | -47.6% |
| 2009 | 16.1% | +35.2% |
| 2010 | 11.1% | -30.7% |
| 2011 | 8.6% | -23.2% |
| 2012 | 12.5% | +45.8% |
| 2013 | 14.9% | +19.5% |
| 2014 | 19.3% | +29.1% |
| 2015 | 20.5% | +6.4% |
| 2016 | 19.8% | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 25.3% | +28.0% |
| 2018 | 24.6% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 16.7% | -32.3% |
| 2020 | 16.9% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 14.5% | -14.2% |
| 2022 | 7.0% | -52.0% |
| 2023 | 3.5% | -49.9% |
| 2024 | 10.0% | +184.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 10.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 7.3%, 1.4× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 10.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.9%, 2.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Real interest rate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +2233.5% | 0.4% | 9.3% |
| 1995 | -540.7% | 3.8% | -16.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.2% | -6.7% | 8.7% | 9 |
| 1990s | 4.0% | -16.9% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.8% | -29.2% | 35.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.3% | 8.6% | 25.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.4% | 3.5% | 16.9% | 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 real interest rate in Malawi?
- Real interest rate in Malawi was 10.0% in 2024, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 35.0% in 2003.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was -29.2% in 2002.
- How does Malawi rank for real interest rate?
- Malawi ranks 26th out of 149 countries with data for 2024.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Real interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
An interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of the principal over a period of time, by the owners of certain kinds of financial assets for putting the financial assets at the disposal of another institutional unit. The real interest rate is the lending interest rate adjusted for inflation as measured by the GDP deflator. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.