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Out-of-pocket health expenditure — all countries

Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Malawi

Out-of-pocket health expenditure in Malawi in 2023 — 12%. Ranked 34 in the world out of 192. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 4.76 pp.

2023 12% −0.58 pp vs 2022
World rank 34of 192
Period maximum 18.55%2001
Period minimum 6.71%2013

Trend over time

2000–2023 · % of health expenditure

Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Malawi, 2000–202351015202000200320062009201220152018202120232000: 16.76%2001: 18.55%2002: 14.99%2003: 12.07%2004: 9.7%2005: 9.1%2006: 8.92%2007: 11.72%2008: 10.37%2009: 11.24%2010: 10.93%2011: 8.96%2012: 10.24%2013: 6.71%2014: 8.18%2015: 10.98%2016: 12.41%2017: 12.7%2018: 12.8%2019: 11.85%2020: 12.51%2021: 11.54%2022: 12.58%2023: 12%
Change over the period: −4.76 pp Annual average: -0.21 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Malawi

Malawi 12%
World 17.33%
Sub-Saharan Africa 30.36%
Eastern Africa computed 27.49%
Low-income countries computed 44.09%
Out-of-pocket health expenditure — Malawi, by year Malawi All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 12 −0.58 pp
2022 12.58 +1.05 pp
2021 11.54 −0.97 pp
2020 12.51 +0.65 pp
2019 11.85 −0.95 pp
2018 12.8 +0.11 pp
2017 12.7 +0.28 pp
2016 12.41 +1.43 pp
2015 10.98 +2.8 pp
2014 8.18 +1.48 pp
2013 6.71 −3.54 pp
2012 10.24 +1.28 pp
2011 8.96 −1.97 pp
2010 10.93 −0.31 pp
2009 11.24 +0.87 pp
2008 10.37 −1.34 pp
2007 11.72 +2.79 pp
2006 8.92 −0.18 pp
2005 9.1 −0.6 pp
2004 9.7 −2.37 pp
2003 12.07 −2.92 pp
2002 14.99 −3.56 pp
2001 18.55 +1.78 pp
2000 16.76 —

Eastern Africa, 2023

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

RW Rwanda 4.1 ZM Zambia 10.29 MZ Mozambique 10.37 ZW Zimbabwe 10.63 MW Malawi 12 KE Kenya 24.25 BI Burundi 24.49 SS South Sudan 27.14 MG Madagascar 27.42 TZ Tanzania 27.93 SC Seychelles 27.96 DJ Djibouti 28.84 SO Somalia 30.78 UG Uganda 32.17 MU Mauritius 45.24 ET Ethiopia 46.27 ER Eritrea 48.45 KM Comoros 56.57
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

Payments people make for medical care directly at the point of use — as a percent of all current health expenditure in the country. Insurance contributions and taxes are excluded: only what a person takes out of their pocket at the counter. The indicator is considered a key measure of financial protection: the higher it is, the more often illness means ruin, and WHO tracks it as an indicator of the risk of catastrophic household spending.

Important: A high value means weak protection, not an active private sector: voluntary insurance is not part of this indicator, so a country with developed private insurance can have a low share of out-of-pocket payments.

Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO), license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

Other indicators for Malawi

Healthcare Government health expenditure (% of GDP)

How much the state spends on health relative to the size of the economy.

Malawi by year Healthcare Health expenditure (% of GDP)

All current health spending — government and private — as a percent of GDP.

Malawi by year Healthcare Universal health coverage index

A composite estimate of how far the population is supplied with the medical care it needs. A scale from 0 to 100.

Malawi by year Healthcare Health expenditure per capita

How much is spent on health per person a year, in US dollars.

Malawi by year Healthcare Physicians per 1,000 people

The number of physicians per 1,000 people.

Malawi by year Healthcare Hospital beds per 1,000 people

The number of hospital beds per 1,000 people — the capacity of inpatient care.

Malawi by year
All indicators for Malawi