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Data

New cases of malaria per 1,000 people at risk

What you should know about this indicator

How is this data described by its producer?

Incidence of malaria is the number of new cases of malaria in a year per 1,000 population at risk.

Aggregation method:

Weighted average

Statistical concept and methodology:

Methodology: Confirmed malaria cases for countries and areas outside Africa, and for low-transmission countries and areas in Africa are adjusted for extent of health service use (treatment seeking), underreporting and lack of case confirmation (the likelihood that cases are parasite positive). In high transmission areas in which the quality of surveillance data does not permit a robust estimate from the number of reported cases, but good data on parasite prevalence is available, the number of cases can be estimated from parasite prevalence. The denominator is estimated, using official UN population and population at risk estimates for countries with sub-national endemicity.

Statistical concept(s): Complete data on malaria cases reported through surveillance systems are the best source of data but are rarely available for large populations at high quality and accuracy. Reported data on malaria cases generally need to be adjusted for extent of health service use (treatment seeking), underreporting and lack of case confirmation (the likelihood that cases are parasite positive). WHO compiles data on reported confirmed cases of malaria and suspected cases tested with microscopy or RDT, submitted by national malaria control programmes. Underreporting is reported or estimated by countries. The extent of health service use (treatment seeking) data were obtained from nationally representative household surveys on health service use.

Development relevance:

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable. There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax – pose the greatest threat.

Other notes:

This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 3.3.3[https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

Source
World Health Organization (Global Health Observatory), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Last updated
February 27, 2026
Next expected update
February 2027
Date range
2000–2024
Unit
per 1,000 population at risk

Sources and processing

This data is based on the following sources

World Health Organization (Global Health Observatory), via World Bank – World Development Indicators

The World Development Indicators (WDI) database, published by the World Bank, is a comprehensive collection of global development data, providing key economic, social, and environmental statistics. It includes over 1,500 indicators covering more than 200 countries and territories, with data spanning several decades.WDI serves as a vital resource for policymakers, researchers, businesses, and analysts seeking to understand global trends and make data-driven decisions. The database covers a wide range of topics, including economic growth, education, health, poverty, trade, energy, infrastructure, governance, and environmental sustainability.The indicators are sourced from reputable national and international agencies, ensuring high-quality, consistent, and comparable data. Users can access the database through interactive online tools, API services, and downloadable datasets, facilitating detailed analysis and visualization.WDI is also used for tracking progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other global development initiatives. By providing accessible and reliable statistics, it helps to inform policy discussions and strategies globally.Whether for academic research, policy planning, or economic analysis, the World Development Indicators database is an essential tool for understanding and addressing global development challenges.

Retrieved on
February 27, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MLR.INCD.P3
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
Global Health Observatory Data Repository/World Health Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO), uri: http://apps.who.int/ghodata/. Indicator SH.MLR.INCD.P3 (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MLR.INCD.P3). World Development Indicators - World Bank (2026). Accessed on 2026-02-27.

The World Development Indicators (WDI) database, published by the World Bank, is a comprehensive collection of global development data, providing key economic, social, and environmental statistics. It includes over 1,500 indicators covering more than 200 countries and territories, with data spanning several decades.WDI serves as a vital resource for policymakers, researchers, businesses, and analysts seeking to understand global trends and make data-driven decisions. The database covers a wide range of topics, including economic growth, education, health, poverty, trade, energy, infrastructure, governance, and environmental sustainability.The indicators are sourced from reputable national and international agencies, ensuring high-quality, consistent, and comparable data. Users can access the database through interactive online tools, API services, and downloadable datasets, facilitating detailed analysis and visualization.WDI is also used for tracking progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other global development initiatives. By providing accessible and reliable statistics, it helps to inform policy discussions and strategies globally.Whether for academic research, policy planning, or economic analysis, the World Development Indicators database is an essential tool for understanding and addressing global development challenges.

Retrieved on
February 27, 2026
Retrieved from
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MLR.INCD.P3
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
Global Health Observatory Data Repository/World Health Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO), uri: http://apps.who.int/ghodata/. Indicator SH.MLR.INCD.P3 (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MLR.INCD.P3). World Development Indicators - World Bank (2026). Accessed on 2026-02-27.

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Citations

How to cite this page

To cite this page overall, including any descriptions, FAQs or explanations of the data authored by Our World in Data, please use the following citation:

“Data Page: New cases of malaria per 1,000 people at risk”. Our World in Data (2026). Data adapted from World Health Organization (Global Health Observatory), via World Bank. Retrieved from https://archive.ourworldindata.org/20260512-185716/grapher/incidence-of-malaria.html [online resource] (archived on May 12, 2026).

How to cite this data

In-line citationIf you have limited space (e.g. in data visualizations), you can use this abbreviated in-line citation:

World Health Organization (Global Health Observatory), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data

Full citation

World Health Organization (Global Health Observatory), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. “New cases of malaria per 1,000 people at risk” [dataset]. World Health Organization (Global Health Observatory), via World Bank, “World Development Indicators 125” [original data]. Retrieved May 12, 2026 from https://archive.ourworldindata.org/20260512-185716/grapher/incidence-of-malaria.html (archived on May 12, 2026).

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