Credit Card Usage Statistics in Malawi (2026)
In 2024, 0.2% of adults in Malawi used a credit card, according to World Bank Global Findex data. Down from 0.6% in 2021 to 0.2% in 2024 (−0.3 percentage points). Malawi ranks #33 of 36 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa on this measure, and #136 of 142 globally.
Key Statistics
- Latest value (2024)
- 0.2% (2024)
- Credit Card Usage in Malawi as of 2024, the most recent observation in World Bank Global Findex data.
- Change since 2021
- −0.3 pp (2024)
- Down from 0.6% in 2021 to 0.2% in 2024 (−0.3 percentage points).
- Earliest value in this dataset (2014)
- 1.1% (2014)
- Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Down from 1.1% in 2014 to 0.2% in 2024.
- Peak value (2014)
- 1.1% (2014)
- Highest value in the available series; the 2024 value is 0.2%.
- Rank in Sub-Saharan Africa
- #33 of 36 (2024)
- Malawi ranks 33 of 36 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data, based on each country's latest value.
- Global rank
- #136 of 142 (2024)
- Malawi ranks 136 of 142 countries with data globally.
- Sub-Saharan Africa average
- 2.2% (2024)
- Malawi (0.2%) is below the average of 2.2% across the 36 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with data.
- Owns a credit card (% age 15+) (2024)
- 0.5% (2024)
- Related indicator from World Bank Global Findex.
- Internet use in Malawi (2024)
- 19% (2024)
- 19% of the population in Malawi used the internet in 2024 (World Bank); shown for context only.
- Population (2024)
- 21.7 million (2024)
- Malawi had a population of 21.7 million in 2024 (World Bank); shown for scale only.
Trend, 2014–2024
| Year | % of adults (age 15+) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0.2% | −0.3 pp |
| 2021 | 0.6% | −0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 0.6% | −0.5 pp |
| 2014 | 1.1% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What share of adults in Malawi used a credit card?
0.2% of adults in Malawi used a credit card in 2024, according to World Bank Global Findex data.
Where does the credit card usage data for Malawi come from?
The data comes from the World Bank Global Findex (indicator fin22g). The latest observation for Malawi is from 2024; the snapshot was retrieved on 2026-06-10.
How has credit card usage in Malawi changed over time?
World Bank Global Findex data show a decline from 1.1% in 2014 to 0.2% in 2024.
Source & methodology
Source: World Bank Global Findex, indicator
fin22g, retrieved .
Figures are shown exactly as published in the source dataset; only the change column of the trend table is computed from adjacent published values.Read more on the methodology page. All figures are estimates and projections; this is not financial advice.
Last updated .