AI access, cost and use · Eastern Africa · Africa · data read 1 Oct 2026

Malawi

In Malawi, a $20-a-month AI plan costs 90% of the median living standard, 114 times the share it takes in the United States; for more than 99% of people it is over a tenth of what they live on. Claude, OpenAI's API and Gemini are all officially offered. 19% of people use the internet.

90%of the median living standard for a $20 planAfrica median 38% · United States 0.79%

99%+of people for whom the plan is over a tenth of their living standardabout 22 m people

3of 3leading services officially offeredClaude · OpenAI · Gemini

19%of people use the internetworld 74% · 22 m people

The figuresMalawi

People22 m

Median living standard$265a year per person · consumption

A $20 plan takes90%of that · 114× the US share

For whom it is over a tenth99%+of people

Survey2019revalued at 2023 prices

GNI per person$600plan is 40% of it

Claude use per personnot reported

Notable AI models built here0

Officially offered here3 of 3

Run it yourself →

Claude · claude.ai appYes

OpenAI · APIYes

Gemini · web appYes

From each lab's own published list: Anthropic's Claude.ai countries, OpenAI's API countries and Google's Gemini web app countries. Not listed means not officially served; open-weight models can be run anywhere.

Against Africa and the worldregional figures are medians or population-weighted

Measure	Malawi	Africa	World
A $20 plan ÷ median living standard	90%	38%	9.9%
People for whom it is over a tenth	99%+	96%	63%
Plan price ÷ GNI per person	40%	14%	2.9%
People using the internet	19%	40%	74%
Claude use per working-age person	not reported	0.24×	1.00×
Notable AI models built	0	0	1,256

NeighboursEastern Africa · lightest burden first

Country	People	Online	$20 plan ÷ median living standard	Over a tenth	Claude use per person	Official lists
Seychelles	123k	88%	4.6%	12%	not reported	3 of 3
Mauritius	1.2 m	73%	9.4%	45%	1.74×	3 of 3
Comoros	883k	33%	15%	76%	not reported	3 of 3
Djibouti	1.2 m	65%	24%	89%	not reported	3 of 3
Kenya	58 m	35%	49%	98%	0.34×	3 of 3
Uganda	51 m	9%	53%	99%	0.11×	3 of 3
Ethiopia	135 m	22%	55%	99%+	not reported	3 of 3
Rwanda	15 m	32%	60%	98%	0.20×	3 of 3
Tanzania	71 m	31%	76%	99%	0.07×	3 of 3
Madagascar	33 m	19%	85%	99%+	0.10×	3 of 3
Malawi	22 m	19%	90%	99%+	not reported	3 of 3
Mozambique	36 m	21%	98%	99%	0.08×	3 of 3
Zambia	22 m	17%	99%	99%	0.15×	3 of 3
Somalia	20 m	28%	no estimate	–	not reported	3 of 3
Zimbabwe	17 m	42%	no estimate	–	0.20×	3 of 3
Burundi	14 m	9%	no estimate	–	not reported	3 of 3
South Sudan	12 m	7%	no estimate	–	not reported	3 of 3
Eritrea	3.6 m	14%	no estimate	–	not reported	3 of 3

All countries →

The foundationsMalawi against the world

World Bank ↗

People using the internet

19%world 74%

People with electricity

16%world 92%

Mobile subscriptions per 100 people

69world 112

Fixed broadband lines per 100 people

0.1world 20.1

Enrolled in university-level education

3%world 44%

Research spending, share of GDP

0.18%world 2.6%

Researchers per million people

25world 1,652

Secure internet servers per million people

32world 16,381

The latest World Bank figure for each measure. The tick marks the world figure.

A $20-a-month plan ($240 a year, US list price) against the median household living standard per person in each country. The median is from the latest national household survey (World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform), revalued from 2021 purchasing-power dollars into US dollars at recent prices and official exchange rates, assuming real living standards have not changed since the survey. Some surveys measure income and others consumption, which includes food people grow and housing they own, so this is a living standard, not cash to spare. Countries with no survey since 2015 or no defensible exchange rate are left blank.

World Bank household surveys ↗Anthropic countries ↗OpenAI countries ↗Gemini countries ↗Anthropic Economic Index ↗Epoch AI notable models ↗