MW · AfricaKR · Asia
Malawi vs South Korea: tax rates compared
South Korea's income tax rate is 9.5pp higher than Malawi's (49.5% vs 40%). The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it.
Verified data covers five of the six tracked tax types for both countries; every rate below is cited to its source and dated.
At a glance
| Tax | MW | KR | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 40% | 49.5% | KR +9.5 pp |
| Corporate Tax | 30% | 26.4% | MW +3.6 pp |
| VAT | 17.5% | 10% | MW +7.5 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 40% | 0% | MW +40 pplargest gap |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 40% | Source: Taxation (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2025 (Malawi Revenue Authority) · as of 2025-12-30 |
| South Korea | 49.5% | Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | −9.5 pp | South Korea higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 30% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| South Korea | 26.4% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | +3.6 pp | Malawi higher |
Malawi's corporate tax rate is 3.6pp higher than South Korea's (30% vs 26.4%). The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 17.5% | Source: EY Worldwide VAT, GST and Sales Tax Guide 2026 — Malawi · as of 2026-01-01 |
| South Korea | 10% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-06-04 |
| Difference | +7.5 pp | Malawi higher |
Malawi's VAT rate is 7.5pp higher than South Korea's (17.5% vs 10%). The 181-country average is 15%: Malawi sits above it, South Korea sits below it.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 40% | Source: EY Worldwide Personal Tax and Immigration Guide 2025-26 — Malawi · as of 2025-10-01 |
| South Korea | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-07-02 |
| Difference | +40 pp | Malawi higher |
Malawi's capital gains tax rate is 40pp higher than South Korea's (40% vs 0%). The 175-country average is 10.3%: Malawi sits above it, South Korea sits below it. Malawi's figure is dated 2025-10-01 and South Korea's 2026-07-02, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 0% | Source: Malawi Legal Information Institute — Taxation Act (Chapter 41:01) · as of 2026-07-18 |
| South Korea | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Korea, Republic of (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-07-02 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Malawi's wealth tax rate is identical to South Korea's — both sit at 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it.
Not covered for both countries yet: Crypto Tax.