Malawi
Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →
Malawi⌘K
Overview
- Background
- Malawi shares its name with the Chewa word for flames and is linked to the Maravi people from whom the Chewa language originated. The Maravi settled in what is now Malawi around 1400, during one of the later waves of Bantu migration across central and southern Africa. A powerful Maravi kingdom established around 1500 reached its zenith around 1700, when it controlled what is now southern and central Malawi and portions of neighboring Mozambique and Zambia. The kingdom eventually declined because of destabilization from the escalating global trade in enslaved people. In the early 1800s, widespread conflict in southern Africa displaced various ethnic Ngoni groups, some of which moved into Malawi and further undermined the Maravi. Members of the Yao ethnic group -- which had long traded with Malawi from Mozambique -- introduced Islam and began to settle in Malawi in significant numbers in the mid-1800s, followed by members of the Lomwe ethnic group. British missionary and trading activity increased in the area around Lake Nyasa in the mid-1800s, and in 1891, Britain declared a protectorate called British Central Africa over what is now Malawi. The British renamed the territory Nyasaland in 1907, and it was part of the colonial Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland -- including present-day Zambia and Zimbabwe -- from 1953 to 1963 before gaining independence as Malawi in 1964.
Hastings Kamuzu BANDA served as prime minister at independence and then as president when the country became a republic in 1966. He later instituted one-party rule under his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and was declared president for life. After three decades of one-party rule, the country held multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections in 1994 under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. Bakili MULUZI of the United Democratic Front party became the first freely elected president of Malawi when he defeated BANDA at the polls in 1994; he won reelection in 1999. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA was elected in 2004 and reelected to a second term in 2009. He died abruptly in 2012 and was succeeded by Vice President Joyce BANDA. MUTHARIKA's brother, Peter MUTHARIKA, defeated BANDA in the election in 2014. Peter MUTHARIKA was reelected in a disputed election in 2019 that resulted in countrywide protests. The courts ordered a new election, and in 2020, Lazarus CHAKWERA of the MCP was elected president. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 94,080 sq km
- Water
- 24,404 sq km
- Total
- 118,484 sq km
- Climate
- sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
- Terrain
- narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
Land Use
- Other
- 13.4% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 22.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 64.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 42.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 2.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 19.6% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Southern Africa, east of Zambia, west and north of Mozambique
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
- Lowest point
- junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
- Highest point
- Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m
- Mean elevation
- 779 m
- Irrigated land
- 740 sq km (2012)
- Map references
- Africa
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 2,857 km
- Border countries
- Mozambique 1,498 km; Tanzania 512 km; Zambia 847 km
- Maritime claims
- none (landlocked)
- Natural hazards
- flooding; droughts; earthquakes
- Geography note
- landlocked; Lake Nyasa, about 580 km (360 mi) long, is the country's most prominent physical feature; it contains more fish species than any other lake on earth
- Natural resources
- limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
- Area comparative
- slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
- Geographic coordinates
- 13 30 S, 34 00 E
- Population distribution
- population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa, as shown in this population distribution map
Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)
- Salt water lake(s)
- Lake Chilwa - 1,040 sq km
- Fresh water lake(s)
- Lake Malawi (shared with Mozambique and Tanzania) - 22,490
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Indian ocean drainage
- Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)
- Atlantic ocean drainage
- Congo (3,730,881 sq km)
- Major rivers (BY length in km)
- Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s], Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 78.6% (2020 est.)
- Female
- 62.7% (2020 est.)
- Total population
- 70.2% (2020 est.)
- Languages
- English (official), Chewa (dominant), Lambya, Lomwe, Ngoni, Nkhonde, Nyakyusa, Nyanja, Sena, Tonga, Tumbuka, Yao
- Religions
- Protestant 33.5% (includes Church of Central Africa Presbyterian 14.2%, Seventh Day Adventist/Baptist 9.4%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Anglican 2.3%), Roman Catholic 17.2%, other Christian 26.6%, Muslim 13.8%, traditionalist 1.1%, other 5.6%, none 2.1% (2018 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.8 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 28.04 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 3.57 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 20 years
- Total
- 19.4 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 20.6 years
Population
- Male
- 10,674,594
- Total
- 21,763,309 (2024 est.)
- Female
- 11,088,715
Nationality
- Noun
- Malawian(s)
- Adjective
- Malawian
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 11.7% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 6.3% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 1.4% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 18.3% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 4.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 37.7% (male 4,080,567/female 4,132,710)
- 15 64 years
- 58.4% (male 6,217,761/female 6,487,273)
- 65 years and over
- 3.9% (2024 est.) (male 376,266/female 468,732)
- Ethnic groups
- Chewa 34.3%, Lomwe 18.8%, Yao 13.2%, Ngoni 10.4%, Tumbuka 9.2%, Sena 3.8%, Mang'anja 3.2%, Tonga 1.8%, Nyanja 1.8%, Nkhonde 1%, other 2.2%, foreign 0.3% (2018 est.)
Child Marriage
- Men married BY age 18
- 7% (2020)
- Women married BY age 15
- 7.5% (2020)
- Women married BY age 18
- 37.7% (2020)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 71.3 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 64.6 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 15 (2024 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 6.7 (2024 est.)
- Physician density
- 0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 7.4% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 3.3% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -2.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 3.33 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 68.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 71.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 85.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 31.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 28.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 14.1% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 2.7% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 16% national budget (2024 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 36.4 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 28.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 27.4 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 2.16% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 1.65 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa, as shown in this population distribution map
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 69.9 years
- Female
- 76.1 years
- Total population
- 73 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 225 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 73.4% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 75.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 87.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 26.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 24.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 12.9% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 2.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 1.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 1.276 million LILONGWE (capital), 1.031 million Blantyre-Limbe (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 5.8% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 19.1 years (2015/16 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 62.1% (2020 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 11.6% (2020 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 10 years (2021 est.)
- Total
- 10 years (2021 est.)
- Female
- 10 years (2021 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green, with a rising red sun centered on the black band
meaning: black stands for ethnic groups, red for the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, and green for nature; the sun represents the hope of freedom for the continent of Africa
Capital
- Name
- Lilongwe
- Etymology
- named after the Lilongwe River that flows through the city; the origin of the river's name is unclear
- Time difference
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 13 58 S, 33 47 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Malawi
- Dual citizenship recognized
- no
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 7 years
Constitution
- History
- previous 1953 (pre-independence), 1964, 1966; latest drafted January to May 1994, approved 16 May 1994, entered into force 18 May 1995
- Amendment process
- proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles, including the sovereignty and territory of the state, fundamental constitutional principles, human rights, voting rights, and the judiciary, requires majority approval in a referendum and majority approval by the Assembly; passage of other amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly
Country Name
- Former
- British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland
- Etymology
- named for the Maravi people who inhabited the area since the 14th century; the word maravi means "flames"
- Local long form
- Dziko la Malawi
- Local short form
- Malawi
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Malawi
- Conventional short form
- Malawi
- Independence
- 6 July 1964 (from the UK)
- Legal system
- mixed system of English common law and customary law; Supreme Court of Appeal reviews legislative acts
- Government type
- presidential republic
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges)
- Subordinate courts
- High Court; magistrate courts; Industrial Relations Court; district and city traditional or local courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; other judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, which regulates judicial officers; judges serve until age 65
Executive Branch
- Note
- note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
- Cabinet
- Cabinet named by the president
- Chief of state
- President Peter MUTHARIKA (since 4 October 2025)
- Election results
- 2025: Peter MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote- Peter MUTHARIKA (DPP) 56.8%, Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 33.0%, Dalitso KABAMBE (UTM) 3.95, Atupele MULUZI (UDF) 1.92%, Joyce BANDA (PP) 1.61%, other 2.72%
2020: Lazarus CHAKWERA elected president; Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 59.3%, Peter Mutharika (DPP) 39.9%, other 0.8% - Head of government
- President Peter MUTHARIKA (since 4 October 2025)
- Most recent election date
- September 2030
- Election/appointment process
- president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)
- Expected date of next election
- September 2030
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 6 July (1964)
- National color(s)
- black, red, green
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Lake Malawi National Park (n); Chongoni Rock-Art Area (c); Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape (c)
- Political parties
- Democratic Progressive Party or DPP
Malawi Congress Party or MCP
People's Party or PP
United Democratic Front or UDF
United Transformation Movement or UTM
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 229 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Legislature name
- National Assembly
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 9/16/2025
- Expected date of next election
- September 2025
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 21.4%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (78); Malawi Congress Party (MCP) (52); Independents (73); Other (21)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Mulungu dalitsa Malawi" (O God, Bless Our Land of Malawi)
- History
- adopted 1964
- Lyrics/music
- Michael-Fredrick Paul SAUKA
- National symbol(s)
- lion
- Administrative divisions
- 28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga, Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Neno, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Chancery
- 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 451- 0409
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Esme Jynet CHOMBO (since 19 April 2022)
- Email address and website
malawidc@aol.com
Home | Malawi Embassy USA
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [265] (0) 177-0471
- Embassy
- 16 Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lilongwe 3
- Telephone
- [265] (0) 177-3166
- Mailing address
- 2280 Lilongwe Place, Washington DC 20521-2280
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Jonathan FISCHER (since 8 August 2025)
- Email address and website
LilongweConsular@state.gov
https://mw.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
MALAWI · LEGISLATURE
National Assembly
229 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
229
Majority line
116
Largest party
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
Parties
10
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Lazarus Chakwera
- Head of State
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $2.208 billion (2022 est.)
- Expenditures
- $3.523 billion (2022 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1.5B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2021
- $1.587 billion (2021 est.)
- Exports 2022
- $1.487 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $1.526 billion (2023 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $4.2B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2021
- $3.768 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports 2022
- $3.834 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $3.995 billion (2023 est.)
- Industries
- tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods
- Labor force
- 8.602 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 55.6%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2022
- 55.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 2.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 2.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 1.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2019
- 745.541 (2019 est.)
- Exchange rates 2020
- 749.527 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 805.9 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 949.039 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 1,161.094 (2023 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $2.269 billion (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- low-income East African economy; primarily agrarian; investing in human capital; urban poverty increasing due to COVID-19; high public debt; endemic corruption and poor property rights; poor hydroelectric grid; localized pharmaceutical industry
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 5.1%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 5.1% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 5.1% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 5.1% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- Germany 11%, India 7%, Zimbabwe 6%, South Africa 5%, USA 5% (2023)
- Imports partners
- China 17%, South Africa 16%, UAE 12%, India 7%, Tanzania 7% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1,858
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $1,700 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $1,600 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $1,600 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.7%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 0.9% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 1.9% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 1.8% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- sweet potatoes, cassava, maize, sugarcane, mangoes/guavas, potatoes, tomatoes, pigeon peas, pumpkins/squash, plantains (2023)
- Exports commodities
- tobacco, tea, dried legumes, soybean meal, raw sugar (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, fertilizers, plastics, garments, postage stamps/documents (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$2.1B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2021
- -$1.918 billion (2021 est.)
- Current account balance 2022
- -$2.218 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$2.276 billion (2023 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 13.5% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $11.009 billion (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 50.7% (2019 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 32.2%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 21% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 28.8% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 32.2% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 2.1% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $35.425 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $34.143 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $34.789 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $35.425 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 6.4% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 6.8% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 7.1% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018
- $766.155 million (2018 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019
- $846.84 million (2019 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020
- $594.498 million (2020 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 16% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 44.9% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 32.4% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 2.9% (2019 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 31% (2019 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2019
- 38.5 (2019 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Imports
- 19,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 3,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 22,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 801.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 15,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 19.938 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 1.585 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 731,000 kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 231.785 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 5.6%
- Electrification urban areas
- 54%
- Electrification total population
- 14% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 1.792 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Solar
- 0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 4.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 92.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 18% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- radio is the main broadcast medium; privately owned Zodiak radio has the widest national reach, followed by state-run radio; numerous private and community radio stations broadcast in cities and towns; the largest TV network is state-owned, but at least 4 private TV networks broadcast in urban areas; relays of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)
- Internet country code
- .mw
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 5,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2023 est.) less than 1
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 15 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 69 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 17,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2023 est.) less than 1
Transport
- Airports
- 27 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 767 km (2014)
- Narrow gauge
- 767 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- 7Q
Environment
- Climate
- sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
Land Use
- Other
- 13.4% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 22.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 64.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 42.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 2.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 19.6% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 18.3% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 4.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 1.298 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 9.6% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of fish spawning grounds; high temperatures and changing precipitation patterns
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 143.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 47.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 1.166 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 2.265 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 65,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 2.2 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 18.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 17.28 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- the MDF’s primary responsibility is external security; it is also tasked as necessary with providing support to civilian authorities during emergencies, supporting the Police Service, protecting national forest reserves, and participating in regional peacekeeping missions, as well as assisting with infrastructure development; key areas of concern include border security, regional conflict, and international terrorism; the MDF participates in exercises with foreign partners and contributes regularly to African Union and UN peace support operations; Malawi contributes regularly to African Union and UN peace support operations
the MDF was established in 1964 from elements of the Kings African Rifles (KAR), a British colonial regiment raised from Great Britain's various possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s; the KAR conducted both military and internal security functions within the colonial territories, and served outside the territories during the World Wars (2025) - Military deployments
- 750 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.0%
- Military expenditures 2020
- 0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 0.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 0.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 0.8% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Malawi Defense Force (MDF): Malawi Army (Land Forces), Malawi Maritime Force (MMF), Malawi Air Force (MAF), Malawi National Service (MNS)
Ministry of Homeland Security: Malawi Police Service (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- 18-24 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the MDF's inventory is comprised of mostly older or secondhand armaments originating from such countries as China, France, Israel, South Africa, and the UK (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- estimated 10,000 active Malawi Defense Forces (2025)
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 135,728 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 56,659 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index49.0 / 100as of 2024-Q489 / 1902024-Q4
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.48as of 2024-Q463 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (67/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Malawi — vintage 2026-Q1: Malawi factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/malawi
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata