Malawi

Population

21.7M

Rank #61

Source: World Bank

Capital

Lilongwe

Source: REST Countries

Region

Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa

Source: REST Countries

GDP (Nominal)

$11.32B

Rank #146

Source: World Bank

Land Area

118.5K km²

Rank #99

Source: REST Countries

Life Expectancy

67.353 yrs

Source: World Bank

Historical Trends

Population Trend (5-Year)

Source: World Bank

GDP Trend (5-Year, Nominal USD)

Source: World Bank

Geography

Area: 118,484 km²

Landlocked: Yes

Independent: Yes

Climate: sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)

Terrain: narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains

Elevation: mean elevation: 779 m lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m

Natural Hazards: flooding; droughts; earthquakes

Environmental Issues: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations; negative effects of climate change...

Land Use: agricultural land: 59.2% (2011 est.) forest: 34% (2011 est.) other: 6.8% (2011 est.)

Geography Note: landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature; it contains more fish species than any other lake on earth

Natural Resources

limestonearable landhydropowerunexploited deposits of uraniumcoaland bauxite

People & Society

Fertility Rate

3.65

Population

21.7M

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%)

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%)

Economy

GDP per Capita

$522.57

GDP per Capita PPP

1,857.618
(2024)

GNI per Capita

570
(2024)

Gini Index

38.5
(2019)

Unemployment

5.051%
(2024)

Inflation

32.18%
(2024)

Public Debt

55.599%
(2022)

Energy

Electricity Access

15.6%
(2023)

Renewable Energy

62.9%
(2022)

CO₂ Emissions

4.795 Mt
(2024)

Energy Intensity

3.33 MJ/$
(2022)

Renewable Electricity

80.055%
(2021)

Environment

Forest Coverage

22.441% of land
(2023)

Communications

Internet Users

17.988%
(2023)

Mobile Penetration

61.087%
(2023)

Broadband Subscribers

0.08%
(2023)

Transportation

Air Transport Freight

0.001 M ton-km
(2021)

Container Port Traffic

Not Available

Airports

1,002

Rail Lines

N/A

Roads Total

N/A

Military

Military Forces

Malawi Defense Force (MDF): Army (includes Air Wing, Marine Unit); note - a 2017 amendment to Malawi’s Defense Force Act established a separate Army, Air Force, and Maritime Force within the MDF, but...

Personnel Strength

size estimates for the Malawi Defense Force vary; approximately 8,000 personnel (including about 200 in the Air Wing and 200 in the Marine Unit)

Military Expenditure (USD)

$0.12B

Military Expenditure (% of GDP)

1.02%

Military Expenditure History

0.9% of GDP (2019) 0.9% of GDP (2018) 0.8% of GDP (2017) 0.6% of GDP (2016) 0.6% of GDP (2015)

Deployments

730 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2020)

Equipment & Inventories

the Malawi Defense Force inventory is comprised of mostly obsolescent or second-hand equipment from France, Germany, South Africa, and the UK; since 2010, it has taken deliveries of additional...

Service Age & Obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; high school equivalent required for enlisted recruits and college equivalent for officer recruits; initial engagement is 7 years for enlisted personnel...

Education

Pre-Primary Enrollment

83.581%
(2015)

Primary Enrollment

139.016%
(2024)

Secondary Enrollment

36.644%
(2023)

Tertiary Enrollment

2.708%
(2022)

Education Spending

2.749% of GDP
(2022)

Adult Literacy Rate

70.15%
(2020)

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

58.679:1
(2018)

Health

Physicians per 1,000

0.054
(2022)

Safe Water Access

73.054%
(2024)

Safe Drinking Water

18.182%
(2024)

Under-5 Mortality

38.3 per 1,000
(2023)

Maternal Mortality (World Bank)

16.769 per 100,000
(2021)

Hospital Beds per 1,000

65.27
(2021)

UHC Coverage Index

52
(2023)

Measles Immunization

91%
(2024)

Social Indicators

Extreme Poverty Rate

75.4%
(2019)

Food Insecurity

21.4%
(2023)

Youth NEET Rate

19.151%
(2024)

Governance

Women in Government

20.725%
(2024)

Voice & Accountability

0.08
(Above Average)
(2023)

Political Stability

-0.24
(Below Average)
(2023)

Government Effectiveness

-0.86
(Below Average)
(2023)

Regulatory Quality

-0.77
(Below Average)
(2023)

Rule of Law

-0.15
(Below Average)
(2023)

Control of Corruption

-0.60
(Below Average)
(2023)

Government

Government Type

presidential republic

Legal System

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Lazarus CHAKWERA (since 28 June 2020); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 3 February 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of...

Legislative Branch

description: unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 21 May 2019 (next...

Judicial Branch

highest courts: Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president and confirmed...

International Organizations

ACPAfDB AUCCD COMESA FAOG-77

National Symbols

Flag Description

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered on the black band; black represents the native peoples, red the blood shed in their struggle for...

National Symbols

lion; national colors: black, red, green

National Anthem

name: "Mulungu dalitsa Malawi" (Oh God Bless Our Land of Malawi) lyrics/music: Michael-Fredrick Paul SAUKA note: adopted 1964

Safety

Homicide Rate

1.776 per 100,000
(2012)

Travel Information

Language(s): English, Chewa

Currency: MWK (MK)

Timezone(s): UTC+02:00

Landlocked: Yes

Independent: Yes

Driving Side: Left

Calling Code: +265

Car Sign: MW

Week Starts: Monday

Photos

Mount Mulanje is a granite inselberg (isolated hill or mountain) in southern Malawi, Africa. At 3,000 m (9,824 ft) high, it is one of the largest inselbergs in the world as well as the tallest peak in south-central Africa. Inselbergs are stands of hard igneous rock that remain standing isolated on level plains, formed because their rock mass resisted erosion while the plains around them did not. The elevation of the mountain is high enough for it disturb upper level air flow and induce rain clouds to form around it, making it an important source of rain water at the head of almost every river that runs through this part of Malawi. The image is a visualization created by merging Landsat satellite imagery with radar elevation data from a space shuttle mission. This true-color image contains no vertical exaggeration. Image courtesy of NASA.

Area comparison map

5 photos available

Data sources: World Bank, UN Data • Updated daily •Learn about our data

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Malawi