Global GridMalawi's energy mix and electricity
🇲🇼 In 2024, Malawi generated 1.83 TWh of electricity. Almost all of it, 92%, came from hydro. In total, 96% came from low-carbon sources (nuclear and renewables) and 4.4% from fossil fuels.
On average, each kilowatt hour produced about 55 grams of carbon dioxide (CO₂), far below the world average of 458 grams in 2025. That makes Malawi the 13th cleanest of 158 countries that generate at least 1 TWh a year.
Electricity demand was 1.81 TWh. Its electricity imports and exports were roughly in balance.
Since 2000, electricity generation has grown by 51%, from 1.21 TWh. The low-carbon share went from 90% to 96%. The biggest rise was in hydro, from 84% to 92% of generation. The biggest fall was in oil and other fossil fuels, from 10% to 4%. Carbon intensity fell from 99 to 55 grams per kWh.
Live, hour-by-hour figures for Malawi are not connected yet. The dashboard shows its yearly figures, energy mix since 2000 and interconnector trade.
Energy mix in 2024
- Hydro 92%
- Oil and other fossil fuels 4.4%
- Bioenergy 2.7%
- Solar 0.5%
| Source | Share | Generated |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 92% | 1.69 TWh |
| Oil and other fossil fuels | 4.4% | 0.08 TWh |
| Bioenergy | 2.7% | 0.05 TWh |
| Solar | 0.5% | 0.01 TWh |
Energy security score
Strong. Malawi ranks 47th of 158 countries and 8th of 35 in Africa. The score shows how well a country could keep electricity affordable and on if fuel supplies were disrupted. It is based on 4 of the 5 measures.
| Measure | Score |
|---|---|
| Produces its own energy No reliable figure exists for Malawi, so this measure is left out and the other four count for more. | n/a |
| Variety of power sources How evenly generation is spread across nine sources. The largest, hydro, made 92%. | 16 |
| Little reliance on imported power Malawi exported more electricity than it imported, so it scores full marks. | 100 |
| Low-carbon power Nuclear and renewables made 96% of generation. | 96 |
| Low gas and oil use Gas and oil made 4.4% of generation; the score is 100 minus that share. | 96 |
The five measures are weighted 30%, 20%, 20%, 15% and 15%. How the score works.
How it has changed
| Year | Generated | Low-carbon | Fossil | CO₂ g/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.21 TWh | 90% | 10% | 99 |
| 2005 | 1.53 TWh | 90% | 11% | 98 |
| 2010 | 1.92 TWh | 94% | 6% | 68 |
| 2015 | 2.17 TWh | 93% | 6% | 69 |
| 2020 | 1.75 TWh | 100% | 1% | 34 |
| 2023 | 1.83 TWh | 96% | 4% | 55 |
| 2024 | 1.83 TWh | 96% | 4% | 55 |
Questions about Malawi's energy
What is Malawi's energy mix?
In 2024, Malawi's electricity came from hydro 92%, oil and other fossil fuels 4.4%, bioenergy 2.7% and solar 0.5%.
How much of Malawi's electricity is renewable?
96% of its electricity came from renewables in 2024 (hydro 92%, bioenergy 2.7% and solar 0.5%).
What is Malawi's main source of electricity?
Hydro, which made 92% of its electricity in 2024.
How clean is Malawi's electricity?
About 55 grams of CO₂ for each kilowatt hour in 2024, far below the world average of 458 grams. It ranks 13th cleanest of 158 countries that generate at least 1 TWh a year.
Does Malawi import electricity?
Its imports and exports were roughly in balance in 2024.
How secure is Malawi's energy supply?
Global Grid's energy security score for Malawi is 74 out of 100 (strong), 47th of 158 countries. It looks at how much of its own energy it produces, how varied its power sources are, its reliance on imported power and its use of low-carbon power, gas and oil.
Other countries in Africa
Sources: Ember yearly electricity data (CC BY 4.0), figures up to 2024. Ember's latest-year figures are first estimates and may be revised. TWh: terawatt hours (one billion kWh).