In 2022, Malawi’s electricity consumption was just 89 kWh per person—about 2% of the global average of 3,794 kWh, or roughly forty times lower. Low-carbon electricity generation totaled 1.75 TWh, with hydropower supplying 1.69 TWh, almost all of that clean electricity. Fossil-fuel electricity is a separate category, but its contribution is not specified in the supplied data. Such limited electricity availability can constrain healthcare, education, irrigation and industrial activity, while making it harder to meet growing demand from electrification and digital services.

Is Electricity Growing in Malawi?

Electricity consumption per person is not growing relative to Malawi’s historical peak. The 2022 figure of 89 kWh was 42 kWh below the 2014 record of 131 kWh—a decline of almost a third. Low-carbon electricity generation per person also fell: its latest level of 85 kWh was 38 kWh below the 2014 record of 123 kWh, again almost a third lower. These figures show a worrying retreat from previous achievements, although they do not establish whether total electricity consumption declined or what happened in every intervening year.

Suggestions

Malawi should prioritize expanding solar electricity alongside its existing hydropower, strengthening grids and developing storage to support greater clean electricity supply. South Africa offers a relevant regional reference, generating about 20 TWh from solar, 12 TWh from wind and 12 TWh from nuclear. Malawi can draw lessons from its experience with all three technologies, while assessing wind opportunities using local resource measurements. India’s solar generation of roughly 190 TWh also provides a useful example of large-scale deployment. For longer-term expansion, Malawi should consider nuclear electricity and develop the technical expertise, regulatory institutions and regional partnerships needed to support it. France, with about 380 TWh of nuclear generation, illustrates nuclear’s potential to supply substantial amounts of low-carbon electricity. These examples offer lessons rather than directly transferable output targets.

History

Malawi’s recorded low-carbon electricity history is largely a story of modest hydropower additions followed by uneven progress. During the 1990s, hydro generation increased by 0.1 TWh in each of 1992, 1997 and 1998; biofuels added another 0.1 TWh in 2000. During the 2000s, hydro posted further 0.1 TWh increases in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2008, interspersed with several years showing no change. Growth strengthened in 2010 with a 0.3 TWh hydro increase, followed by 0.1 TWh additions in 2011, 2012 and 2014. Later, hydro fell by 0.1 TWh in 2017 and 0.4 TWh in 2018, before recovering by 0.3 TWh in 2019; solar showed no recorded increase in 2018. That uneven trajectory underscores the importance of sustained investment and a broader clean electricity supply.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade