Statistical information Malawi 2015

Malawi in the World

Malawi - Introduction 2015

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Background: Established in 1891 the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections in 1994 under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party the Democratic Progressive Party in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. He oversaw some economic improvement in his first term but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by vice president Joyce BANDA who had earlier started her own party the People's Party. MUTHARIKA’s brother Peter MUTHARIKA defeated BANDA in the May 2014 election. Population growth increasing pressure on agricultural lands corruption and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.

Malawi - Geography 2015

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Location: Southern Africa east of Zambia west and north of Mozambique

Geographic coordinates: 13 30 S 34 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 118,484 km²
Land: 94,080 km²
Water: 24,404 km²
Rank: 100
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 2,857 km
Border countries: (3) Mozambique 1498 km; Tanzania 512 km; Zambia 847 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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
Extremes lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
Extremes highest point: Sapitwa 3,002 m

Natural resources: limestone arable land: hydropower unexploited deposits of uranium coal and bauxite

Land use

Land use
Agricultural land: 59.2%

arable land: 38.2%
permanent crops: 1.4%
permanent pasture: 19.6%

Forest: 34%
Other: 6.8%

Irrigated land: 735 km² (2006)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 17.28 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: NA

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

Malawi - People 2015

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Population: 17,964,697
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy higher infant mortality higher death rates lower population growth rates and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Rank: 64
Growth rate: 3.32% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 2
Below poverty line: 53% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Malawian
Adjective: Malawian

Ethnic groups: Chewa 32.6% Lomwe 17.6% Yao 13.5% Ngoni 11.5% Tumbuka 8.8% Nyanja 5.8% Sena 3.6% Tonga 2.1% Ngonde 1% other 3.5%

Languages: English (official) Chichewa (common) Chinyanja Chiyao Chitumbuka Chilomwe Chinkhonde Chingoni Chisena Chitonga Chinyakyusa Chilambya

Religions: Christian 82.6% Muslim 13% other 1.9% none 2.5% (2008 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 46.73%
15-24 years: 20.38%
25-54 years: 27.14%
55-64 years: 3.06%
65 years and over: 2.69% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 94.5%
Youth dependency ratio: 87.9%
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.7%
Potential support ratio: 14.9%

Median age
Total: 16.4 years
Male: 16.3 years
Female: 16.5 years

Population growth rate: 3.32% (2015 est.)
Rank: 2

Birth rate: 41.56 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 7

Death rate: 8.41 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 82

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 89

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 16.3% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.77% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: LILONGWE (capital) 905,000; Blantyre-Limbe 808,000 (2015)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff sewage industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Marine Life Conservation Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male/female
0-14 years: 0.99 male/female
15-24 years: 0.99 male/female
25-54 years: 0.98 male/female
55-64 years: 0.91 male/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 46.26 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 53.07 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 39.35 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 42

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 60.66 years
Male: 58.67 years
Female: 62.69 years
Rank: 196

Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 8

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 46.1% (2010)

Drinking water source:

urban: 95.7% of population
rural: 89.1% of population
total: 90.2% of population
urban: 4.3% of population
rural: 10.9% of population
total: 9.8% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.02 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

urban: 47.3% of population
rural: 39.8% of population
total: 41% of population
urban: 52.7% of population
rural: 60.2% of population
total: 59% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 10.04% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 9
People living with hivaids: 1,063,900 (2014 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 10
Deaths: 32,600 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 11

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 4.3% (2014)
Rank: 168

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 13.8% (2010)
Rank: 52

Education expenditures: 5.4% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 60

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 65.8%
Male: 73%
Female: 58.6%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 11 years

Youth unemployment

Malawi - Government 2015

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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Malawi
Conventional short form: Malawi
Local long form: Dziko la Malawi
Local short form: Malawi
Former: British Central African Protectorate Nyasaland Protectorate Nyasaland

Government type: multiparty democracy

Capital
Name: Lilongwe
Geographic coordinates: 13 58 S 33 47 E
Time difference: UTC+2

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 July 1964 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day (Republic Day) 6 July (1964)

Constitution: previous 1953 (preindependence) 1966; latest drafted January to May 1994 approved 16 May 1994 entered into force 18 May 1995; amended several times last in 2013 (2013)

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

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA ; Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 31 May 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA ; Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 31 May 2014)
Cabinet: Cabinet named by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term ; election last held on 20 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019)
Election results: Peter MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Peter MUTHARIKA 36.4% Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 27.8% Joyce BANDA (PP) 20.2% Atupele MULUZI (UDF) 13.7% other 1.9%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly
Elections: last held on 20-22 May 2014
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPP 50 MCP 48 PP 26 UDF 14 other 2 independent 52; note - voting in one electoral constituency to be rescheduled due to death of candidate

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court of Appeal
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 upon recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission which regulates judicial officers; judges serve until age 65
Subordinate courts: High Court; magistrate courts; Industrial Relations Court; district and city traditional or local courts

Political parties and leaders:

Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Godfrey SHAWA]
Chipani Cha Fuko or CCP [Davis KATSONGA PHIRI]
Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Peter MUTHARIKA]
Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Lazarus CHAKWERA]
People's Party or PP [Joyce BANDA]
United Democratic Front or UDF [Atupele MULUZI]

International organization participation: 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 UNIDO UNISFA UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Necton Darlington MHURA
In the us chancery: 2,408 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 721-0270
In the us FAX: [1] 721-0288
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Virginia E. PALMER
From the us embassy: 16 Jomo Kenyatta Road Lilongwe 3
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 30,016 Lilongwe 3 Malawi
From the us telephone: [265] 773-166
From the us FAX: [265] 770-471

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 freedom and green the color of nature; the rising sun represents the hope of freedom for the continent of Africa

National symbols: lion; national colors: black red green

National anthem
Name: 'Mulungu dalitsa Malawi'
Lyrics and music: Michael-Fredrick Paul SAUKA
Note: adopted 1964

National heritage

Malawi - Economy 2015

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Economy overview:

Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The country’s economic performance has historically been constrained by policy inconsistency macroeconomic instability limited connectivity to the region and the world and poor health and education outcomes that limit labor productivity. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 80% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for about one-third of GDP and 90% of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for more than half of exports.
The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF the World Bank and individual donor nations. In 2006 Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries program. Between 2005 and 2009 Malawi’s government exhibited improved financial discipline under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE and signed a three year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility worth $56 million. The government announced infrastructure projects that could yield improvements such as a new oil pipeline for better fuel access and the potential for a waterway link through Mozambican rivers to the ocean for better transportation options.
Since 2009 however Malawi has experienced some setbacks including a general shortage of foreign exchange which has damaged its ability to pay for imports and fuel shortages that hinder transportation and productivity. In October 2013 the African Development Bank the IMF several European countries and the US indefinitely froze $150 million in direct budgetary support in response to a high level corruption scandal called “Cashgate” citing a lack of trust in the government’s financial management system and civil service. Most of the frozen donor funds—which accounted for 40% of the budget—have been channeled through non-governmental organizations in the country. The government has failed to address barriers to investment such as unreliable power water shortages poor telecommunications infrastructure and the high costs of services. Investment had fallen continuously for several years but rose 4 percentage points in 2014 to 17% of GDP.
The government faces many challenges including developing a market economy improving educational facilities addressing environmental problems dealing with HIV/AIDS and satisfying foreign donors on anti-corruption efforts.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:

$13.73 billion (2014 est.)
$12.98 billion (2013 est.)
$12.34 billion (2012 est.)

Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 152

Real gdp growth rate:

5.7% (2014 est.)
5.2% (2013 est.)
1.9% (2012 est.)

Rank: 41

Real gdp per capita:

$800 (2014 est.)
$700 (2013 est.)
$700 (2012 est.)

Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 227

Gross national saving:

10.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
14.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
13.4% of GDP (2012 est.)

Rank: 122

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 95%
Government consumption: 11%
Investment in fixed capital: 16.5%
Investment in inventories: 6.6%
Exports of goods and services: 28.1%
Imports of goods and services: -57.1%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 30.1%
Industry: 18.5%
Services: 51.3%

Agriculture products: tobacco sugarcane cotton tea corn potatoes cassava (manioc tapioca) sorghum pulses groundnuts Macadamia nuts; cattle goats

Industries: tobacco tea sugar sawmill products cement consumer goods

Industrial production growth rate: -1.7% (2014 est.)
Rank: 183

Labor force: 5.747 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 70
By occupation agriculture: 90%
By occupation industry and services: 10%

Labor force

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 53% (2004 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3%
Highest 10: 31.9%

Distribution of family income gini index: 39 (2004)
Rank: 68

Budget
Revenues: $1.264 billion
Expenditures: $1.573 billion
Surplus or deficit: -7% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 190

Taxes and other revenues: 28.7% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 97

Public debt:

48% of GDP (2014 est.)
49.6% of GDP (2013 est.)

Rank: 74

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices:

23.8% (2014 est.)
27.3% (2013 est.)

Rank: 221

Central bank discount rate:

15% (31 December 2009)
15% (31 December 2008)

Rank: 9

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

44% (31 December 2014 est.)
46% (31 December 2013 est.)

Rank: 2

Stock of narrow money:

$578.5 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$454.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Rank: 162

Stock of broad money:

$1.481 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$1.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Rank: 161

Stock of domestic credit:

$1.176 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$969.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Rank: 153

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$753.6 million (31 December 2012 est.)
$1.384 billion (31 December 2011)
$1.363 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Rank: 110

Current account balance:

-$216 million (2014 est.)
-$958.4 million (2013 est.)

Rank: 120

Exports:

$1.332 billion (2014 est.)
$1.374 billion (2013 est.)

Rank: 154
Commodities: tobacco 53% tea sugar cotton coffee peanuts wood products apparel (2010 est.)
Partners: Belgium 12.4% Zimbabwe 10.4% South Africa 6.8% Germany 6.8% Russia 6.6% Canada 6.1% US 6% (2014)

Imports:

$2.498 billion (2014 est.)
$2.52 billion (2013 est.)

Rank: 156
Commodities: food petroleum products semi-manufactures consumer goods transportation equipment
Partners: South Africa 26.2% India 15.5% China 10% Zambia 9.8% Tanzania 5.4% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$469.7 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$435.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Rank: 151

Debt external:

$1.729 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$1.487 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Rank: 149

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:

Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar -
412.1 (2014 est.)
364.41 (2013 est.)
249.11 (2012 est.)
156.93 (2011 est.)
150.49 (2010 est.)

Malawi - Energy 2015

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Electricity
Production: 2.069 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 138
Consumption: 1.924 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 143
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 168
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 171
Installed generating capacity: 301,000 kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 153
Generation sources fossil fuels: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 209
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 136
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 99.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 3
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 201

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 200 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 111
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 151
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 91
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 162

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 171
Products consumption: 13,040 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 148
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 197
Products imports: 6,059 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 142

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 163
Consumption: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 169
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 141
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 96
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 167

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 1.91 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 151

Energy consumption per capita

Malawi - Communication 2015

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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 64,200
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1
Fixed lines rank: 153
Mobile cellular total: 5.1 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 30
Mobile cellular rank: 117

Telephone system
General assessment: rudimentary; privatization of Malawi Telecommunications a necessary step in bringing improvement to telecommunications services completed in 2006
Domestic: limited fixed-line subscribership of about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services are expanding but network coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas; mobile-cellular subscribership about 25 per 100 persons
International: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (2010)

Broadcast media: radio is the main broadcast medium; privately owned Zodiac radio has the widest national broadcasting reach followed by state-run radio; about a dozen private and community radio stations broadcast in cities and towns around the country; the largest TV network is government-owned but two private TV networks now broadcast in urban areas and more plan to begin broadcasting in 2014; relays of multiple international broadcasters are available (2014)

Internet
Country code: .mw
Users total: 387,500
Users percent of population: 2.2%
Users rank: 135

Broadband fixed subscriptions

Malawi - Military 2015

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Military expenditures:

0.93% of GDP (2012)
0.79% of GDP (2011)
0.93% of GDP (2010)

Rank: 104

Military and security forces

Military service age and 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 and 10 years for officers (2014)

Space program

Terrorist groups

Malawi - Transportation 2015

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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 32 (2013)
Rank: 113
With paved runways total: 7
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With unpaved runways total: 25
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11
With unpaved runways: 13 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 767 km
Narrow gauge: 767 km 1.067-m gauge
Rank: 99

Roadways
Total: 15,450 km
Paved: 6,951 km
Unpaved: 8,499 km
Rank: 120

Waterways: 700 km (on Lake Nyasa [Lake Malawi] and Shire River) (2010)
Rank: 75

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Lake port: Chipoka Monkey Bay Nkhata Bay Nkhotakota Chilumba

Malawi - Transnational issues 2015

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Disputes international: dispute with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River; Malawi contends that the entire lake up to the Tanzanian shoreline is its territory while Tanzania claims the border is in the center of the lake; the conflict was reignited in 2012 when Malawi awarded a license to a British company for oil exploration in the lake

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 107,000 (2015)

Illicit drugs

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