Life Expectancy in Malawi (2024): Men 64.3, Women 70.8

Life expectancy in Malawi since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Malawi has risen by 32.6 years, from 35.0 to 67.6. Women live 6.5 years longer than men (70.8 vs 64.3).

Expected age at death in Malawi by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	64.3	68.1	69.3	73.0	83.3
Women	70.8	74.9	75.8	78.2	85.8

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Malawi’s figures (method).

How people die in Malawi

Chronic diseases: 43.2%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 49%
Injuries: 7.8%

In 2019, 43% of deaths in Malawi were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Malawi man has a 27% chance and a woman 23% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 33.4 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Malawi, about 48.8 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Malawi compared with its region

Malawi is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #13 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
9	Gabon	68.5	66.1	71.2
10	Uganda	68.5	65.5	71.4
11	Rwanda	68.0	65.7	70.1
12	Ethiopia	67.6	64.4	71.0
13	Malawi	67.6	64.3	70.8
14	Namibia	67.5	63.5	71.5
15	Tanzania	67.2	64.4	70.0
16	Comoros	67.0	65.0	69.2
17	Sudan	66.5	63.4	69.8

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Malawi?

67.6 years in 2024: 64.3 for men and 70.8 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Malawi?

Yes. Women in Malawi live about 6.5 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Malawi rank for life expectancy?

Malawi ranks #171 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 5.9 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Malawi?

Life expectancy at birth (67.6) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Malawi can expect to live to about 69.3, and a 40-year-old woman to about 75.8.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.