Malawi DHS 2024 — National Snapshot
The 2024 MDHS covered 20,849 women and 5,027 men age 15–49. Key findings span health, mortality, empowerment and gender-based violence, with trends from 1992–2024.
48▼
Under-5 Mortality Rate per 1,000 live births
234 in 1992
224▼
Maternal Mortality Ratio per 100,000 live births
1,123 in 1993–2000
97%▲
Births in a health facility
55% in 2000
66%▲
Married women using modern contraception
26% in 2000
38%→
Children under 5 who are stunted
28.5%→
Women experiencing IPV in past 12 months
Child Mortality Decline, 1992–2024 Trend
Deaths per 1,000 live births across all six MDHS surveys
Under-5 mortality fell 79% since 1992. Neonatal deaths now account for 50% of all under-5 deaths.
SDG Health Indicators — 2024 Decreasing
Coverage against selected Sustainable Development Goal health targets
Total Fertility Rate, 1992–2024 Trend
Children per woman — near halving over three decades
TFR fell from 6.7 (1992) to 3.7 (2024). Adolescent birth rate remains high at 133 per 1,000 women age 15–19.
Urban vs Rural — Health Equity Gap Comparison
% achieving key maternal and child health indicators — Urban vs Rural
Gaps are widest in full vaccination (18pp) and 4+ ANC visits (17pp) — coverage deficits that compound rural child mortality.
Infant & Child Mortality
Under-5 mortality fell 79% from 1992 to 2024. Neonatal deaths account for half of all under-5 deaths. Urban–rural disparities persist.
24▼
Neonatal mortality per 1,000 live births
42 in 1992
35▼
Infant mortality per 1,000 live births
135 in 1992
48▼
Under-5 mortality per 1,000 live births
234 in 1992
37→
Perinatal mortality per 1,000 pregnancies ≥28 wks
50%→
Under-5 deaths that are neonatal
Mortality Trends, 1992–2024 All Survey Years
Deaths per 1,000 live births — neonatal, infant and under-5 across six MDHS surveys
Under-5 fell from 234 to 48. Neonatal mortality has been the slowest to decline and now constitutes half of all child deaths.
Mortality by Residence Urban vs Rural
Neonatal, infant and under-5 mortality rates, 5-year period before survey
Rural under-5 mortality is ~16% higher than urban. Urban neonatal rate (28) paradoxically exceeds rural, reflecting concentrated high-risk births.
Mortality by Child's Sex Disparity
Male children face consistently higher mortality across all measures
Boys carry a U5MR of 58 vs 39 for girls — a 49% higher risk consistent with global patterns.
Perinatal Mortality by Mother's Age Bar
Perinatal deaths per 1,000 pregnancies ≥28 weeks, by mother's age group
Perinatal risk peaks at age extremes — mothers under 20 and over 40 face the greatest risk for the newborn.
Maternal & Newborn Care
Near-universal facility delivery achieved. Key gaps remain in 4+ ANC visit frequency, postnatal coverage, and unmet need for unmarried women.
96%▲
ANC from a skilled provider
62%→
Women with 4+ ANC visits
97%▲
Births in a health facility
12%▲
Births by caesarean section
58%→
Postnatal check within 2 days
13%→
Married women with unmet FP need
Modern Contraceptive Use, 2000–2024 Trend
% currently married women using any vs modern method
Modern use rose from 26% (2000) to 66% (2024). Injectables dominate at 34% — high reliance on provider-dependent methods.
Method Mix — Modern Contraception 2024 Donut
% married women using each modern method
Injectables (34%) and implants (13%) dominate. Male condom use is just 3% — limiting dual protection against STIs.
Family Planning — Demand vs Unmet Need Gap
Demand satisfied and unmet need by marital status
28% of sexually active unmarried women have unmet need — more than double the 13% rate for married women.
Maternal Care Coverage Cascade 2024
Coverage at each stage from first ANC contact to postnatal care
Coverage drops sharply at 4+ ANC visits (62%) and postnatal care (58%) — the two critical intervention gaps.
Child Health & Nutrition
Stunting affects 38% of children under 5. Vaccination coverage and complementary feeding quality remain major gaps alongside high malaria burden.
38%→
Children under 5 stunted
10%→
Children under 5 underweight
67%▲
Children 12–23 months fully vaccinated (basic)
60%▲
Children under 6 months exclusively breastfed
23%→
Children 6–59 months positive for malaria
Nutritional Status of Children Under 5 Prevalence
% of children under 5 affected by each malnutrition condition
Stunting at 38% is chronic and structural — linked to poverty, poor diet and repeated illness with lasting effects on development.
Vaccination Coverage, Children 12–23 Months Coverage
% receiving each vaccine; national schedule vs basic threshold
Only 47% fully vaccinated per national schedule vs 67% basic threshold. Measles 2nd dose (73%) and dropout are key gaps.
Infant & Young Child Feeding Cascade
Key IYCF indicators from birth through 23 months
Only 13% of children 6–23 months receive a minimum acceptable diet — a vast complementary feeding gap driving stunting.
Child Illness — 2 Weeks Before Survey Prevalence
% under-5 with illness and % who sought care
Care-seeking varies: 70% for ARI, 67% for fever, 57% for diarrhoea — leaving many children without timely treatment.
HPV Vaccination Module
Malawi launched its national HPV programme in 2019. 2024 DHS collected retrospective data from women age 15–17 on vaccinations received when aged 9–14.
58%▲
Girls 15–17 with at least 1 HPV dose
89%▲
Vaccinated at school (of those vaccinated)
7%→
Vaccinated at a health facility
42%→
Eligible girls not yet vaccinated
HPV Vaccination Coverage Donut
Girls age 15–17 — at least one dose received
With 58% coverage, 42% of eligible girls remain unprotected. Full protection requires 2 doses — effective coverage may be lower still.
Vaccination Delivery Site Donut
Where vaccinated girls received their HPV dose
89% delivered through schools — girls who leave school early are systematically missed, creating an equity gap linked to child marriage.
Programme Context Reference
Key facts about the Malawi HPV vaccination programme and cervical cancer risk
Vaccine Coverage
Gardasil (HPV4) protects against types 6, 11, 16 and 18 — responsible for most cervical cancers and genital warts.
Target Age
Girls aged 9–14 are the primary target. Two doses are required for full protection under Malawi's national programme (launched 2019).
Coverage Gap
42% of eligible girls remain unvaccinated. Out-of-school girls face the greatest gap as 89% of doses are school-delivered.
Child Marriage Link
Girls married before 18 (38.7% of women 20–24) often leave school before vaccination, missing life-saving protection against cervical cancer.
Women's Empowerment
Employment, earnings control, asset ownership and decision-making power — key determinants of women's health, agency and economic security.
65%▼
Married women employed (vs 93% men)
76% in 2010
26%→
Women deciding alone how earnings are used
52%▲
Women who own land
73%▲
Women making own health decisions (alone/jointly)
18%→
Women who believe wife beating is justified
Control Over Women's Earnings Donut
Who decides how currently married women's cash earnings are spent
Only 26% of women decide alone. 28% report the husband decides — more women have earnings controlled by partners than fully self-directed.
Asset Ownership: Women vs Men Comparison
% owning a house, land or mobile phone
Women's asset ownership is surprisingly strong at 52% for house and land. However, 94.6% of women's land carries no title deed.
Women's Decision-Making Power Radar
% participating in decisions alone or jointly — key domains
Highest participation in health decisions (73%), lowest in autonomous SRH decisions (42.3%) — directly limiting contraceptive uptake.
Women's Employment Trend, 2000–2024 Trend
% currently married respondents employed in past 12 months
Peaked at 76% in 2010, declined to 65% in 2024 — now 28 points below married men's rate of 93%.
Domestic Violence
28.5% of ever-partnered women experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence in the 12 months before the survey, with intimate partners as the primary perpetrators.
28.5%→
Women subjected to any IPV — past 12 months
18.1%→
Psychological violence by intimate partner
15.2%→
Physical violence by intimate partner
12.2%→
Sexual violence by intimate partner
6.0%→
Women 18–29 experiencing sexual violence before age 18
Forms of Intimate Partner Violence — Past 12 Months Horizontal Bar
% ever-partnered women experiencing each type of IPV in the year before the survey
Psychological violence is the most prevalent form. Across all forms, nearly 1 in 3 women experienced partner violence in the past 12 months.
Attitudes Justifying Wife Beating Women vs Men
% believing a husband is justified in beating his wife in at least one circumstance
18% of women and 16% of men accept wife beating as justifiable — attitudes that normalise violence and reduce help-seeking.
Sexual Autonomy — Married Women Indicators
% who can refuse sex or request condom use with their husband
Only 62% can say no to sex and 68% can ask for condom use — fundamental reproductive rights not yet fully exercised by 32–38% of married women.
Violence by Stage of Life Lifecycle
% women affected — from childhood sexual violence to adult intimate partner violence
6% experienced sexual violence before age 18. Adult IPV rates are 2–3× higher — risk escalates sharply from girlhood to partnership.
Pregnancy-Related Mortality
Maternal mortality ratio stands at 224 per 100,000 live births — a dramatic fall from the 1993–2000 peak. Progress is slowing; the SDG 3.1 target of 70 per 100,000 by 2030 remains very distant.
245▼
Pregnancy-Related Mortality Ratio per 100,000 live births
1,123 in 1993–2000
224▼
Maternal Mortality Ratio per 100,000 live births
1,123 in 1993–2000
1.0%▼
Lifetime risk of pregnancy-related death
7.0% in 1993–2000
18→
Stillbirths per 1,000 pregnancies ≥28 weeks
19→
Early neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births
Pregnancy-Related Mortality Ratio Trend, 1985–2024 Historical
PRMR per 100,000 live births across six survey periods with SDG 3.1 target reference line
PRMR fell from a peak of 1,123 (1993–2000) to 245 (2017–2024) — a 78% reduction. At current rates, Malawi will not meet the SDG target of 70 by 2030.
PRMR by Mother's Age Bar
Pregnancy-related deaths per 1,000 pregnancies by 5-year age group, 2017–2024
Risk peaks at ages 30–34 (0.59 per 1,000). Older maternal age combined with high parity is the most dangerous combination.
PRMR Across Survey Periods Bar
Pregnancy-related mortality ratio — 1985 to 2024 surveys
The slowdown in decline between recent periods signals the need for targeted investment in emergency obstetric care and quality improvement.