Map of Malawi | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: From the late 15th to the 18th centuries, a prosperous Kingdom of Maravi - from which the name Malawi derives - extended its reach into what are now areas of Zambia and Mozambique. British missionary and trading activity increased in the area around Lake Malawi in the second half of the 19th century. In 1889, a British Central African Protectorate was established, which was renamed Nyasaland in 1907, and which 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. Bakili MULUZI became the first freely elected president of Malawi when he won the presidency in 1994; he won re-election in 1999. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in 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 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 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 2014 election. Peter MUTHARIKA was reelected in a disputed 2019 election that resulted in countrywide protests. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.


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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
Note: (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
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 resources: limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite

Land use
Agricultural land: 59.2% (2011 est.)
Forest: 34% (2011 est.)
Other: 6.8% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 740 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flooding; droughts; earthquakes

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


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Population
Distribution rank: population distribution map: 21,196,629 (July 2020 est.)
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: 60
Growth rate: 3.3% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 6
Below poverty line: 50.7% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Malawian(s)
Adjective: Malawian

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 .3% (2018 est.)

Languages:

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.)

Demographic profile: Malawi has made great improvements in maternal and child health, but has made less progress in reducing its high fertility rate. In both rural and urban areas, very high proportions of mothers are receiving prenatal care and skilled birth assistance, and most children are being vaccinated. Malawi’s fertility rate, however, has only declined slowly, decreasing from more than 7 children per woman in the 1980s to about 5.5 today. Nonetheless, Malawians prefer smaller families than in the past, and women are increasingly using contraceptives to prevent or space pregnancies. Rapid population growth and high population density is putting pressure on Malawi’s land, water, and forest resources. Reduced plot sizes and increasing vulnerability to climate change, further threaten the sustainability of Malawi’s agriculturally based economy and will worsen food shortages. About 80% of the population is employed in agriculture.Historically, Malawians migrated abroad in search of work, primarily to South Africa and present-day Zimbabwe, but international migration became uncommon after the 1970s, and most migration in recent years has been internal. During the colonial period, Malawians regularly migrated to southern Africa as contract farm laborers, miners, and domestic servants. In the decade and a half after independence in 1964, the Malawian Government sought to transform its economy from one dependent on small-scale farms to one based on estate agriculture. The resulting demand for wage labor induced more than 300,000 Malawians to return home between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s. In recent times, internal migration has generally been local, motivated more by marriage than economic reasons.

Age structure
0-14 years: 45.87% (male 4,843,107/female 4,878,983)
15-24 years: 20.51% (male 2,151,417/female 2,195,939)
25-54 years: 27.96% (male 2,944,936/female 2,982,195)
55-64 years: 2.98% (male 303,803/female 328,092)
65 years and over: 2.68% (male 249,219/female 318,938) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 83.9
Youth dependency ratio: 79.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.9
Potential support ratio: 20.6 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 16.8 years
Male: 16.7 years
Female: 16.9 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 221

Population growth rate: 3.3% (2020 est.)
Rank: 6

Birth rate: 40.1 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 9

Death rate: 7.2 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 119

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 88

Population distribution
Rank: population distribution map

Urbanization
Urban population: 17.4% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 4.19% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 1.122 million LILONGWE (capital), 932,000 Blantyre-Limbe (2020)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations; negative effects of climate change (extreme high temperatures, changing precipatation pattens)
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(s)/female
0-14 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 18.9 years (2015/16 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 39.5 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 45.8 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 33.2 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 39

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.2 years
Male: 61.2 years
Female: 65.3 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 204

Total fertility rate: 5.31 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 11

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 59.2% (2015/16)

Drinking water source
Urban: 4.1% of population
Rural: 12.7% of population
Total: 11.3% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 9.6% (2017)

Physicians density: 0.02 physicians/1000 population (2016)

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

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 41.8% of population
Rural: 64.1% of population
Total: 60.4% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 9.5% (2019 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 9
People living with hivaids: 1.1 million (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 10
Deaths: 13,000 (2019 est.)
Deaths rank: 18

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2020)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5.8% (2016)
Rank: 173

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 11.8% (2018)
Rank: 54

Education expenditures: 4.7% of GDP (2018)
Rank: 72

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 62.1%
Male: 69.8%
Female: 55.2% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 11 years (2011)

Youth unemployment


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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
Etymology: named for the East African Maravi Kingdom of the 16th century; the word maravi means fire flames

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Lilongwe
Geographic coordinates: 13 58 S, 33 47 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: named after the Lilongwe River that flows through the city

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, 6 July (1964); note - also called Republic Day since 6 July 1966

Constitution
History: previous 1953 (preindependence), 1966; latest drafted January to May 1994, approved 16 May 1994, entered into force 18 May 1995
Amendments: 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; amended several times, last in 2017

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
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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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 government: President Lazarus CHAKWERA (since 28 June 2020); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 3 February 2020) 
Cabinet: Cabinet named by the president 
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 June 2020 (next to be held in 2025)
Election results:

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 to be held in May 2024)
Election results: percent of vote by party - n/a; seats by party - DPP 62, MCP 55, UDF 10, PP 5, other 5, independent 55, vacant 1; composition - men 161, women 32, percent of women 16.6%

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 by the National Assembly; other judges appointed by the president upon the 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: Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Peter MUTHARIKA]Malawi Congress Party or MCP [Lazarus CHAKWERA]Peoples Party or PP [Joyce BANDA]United Democratic Front or UDF [Atupele MULUZI]United Transformation Movement or UTM [Saulos CHILIMA]

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 Edward Yakobe SAWERENGERA (since 16 September 2016)
In the us chancery: 2,408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 721-0288
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert SCOTT (since 6 August 2019)
From the us telephone: +(265) 1-773-166, 1-773-342 and 1-773-367 (Dial 0 before the 1 within Malawi); EMER: +(265) (0) 999-591-024 or +(265) (0) 888-734-826
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 FAX: 265 (0) 1,770,471

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 (Oh God Bless Our Land of Malawi)
Lyricsmusic: Michael-Fredrick Paul SAUKA
Note: adopted 1964

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 74

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 209

Gross national saving:
Rank: 178

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 84.3% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 16.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 15.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 27.9% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -43.8% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 28.6% (2017 est.)
Industry: 15.4% (2017 est.)
Services: 56% (2017 est.)

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

Industries: tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods

Industrial production growth rate: 1.2% (2017 est.)
Rank: 150

Labor force: 7 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 64
By occupation agriculture: 76.9%
By occupation industry: 4.1%
By occupation services: 19% (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate: 20.4% (2013 est.)
Rank: 191

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 50.7% (2010 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.2%
Highest 10: 37.5% (2010 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 1.356 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 1.567 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 144

Taxes and other revenues: 21.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 135

Public debt:
Rank: 75

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 207

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 125

Exports:
Rank: 96
Partners: Zimbabwe 13.1%, Mozambique 11.8%, Belgium 10.7%, South Africa 6.3%, Netherlands 5%, UK 4.7%, Germany 4.3%, US 4.2% (2017)
Commodities: tobacco (55%), dried legumes (8.8%), sugar (6.7%), tea (5.7%), cotton (2%), peanuts, coffee, soy (2015 est.)

Imports:
Rank: 97
Commodities: food, petroleum products, semi-manufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
Partners: South Africa 20.7%, China 14.2%, India 11.6%, UAE 7%, Netherlands 4.4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 140

Debt external:
Rank: 151

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 16 million (2019)
Access electrification total population: 13% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 55% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 5% (2019)
Production: 1.42 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 144
Consumption: 1.321 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 150
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 164
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 170
Installed generating capacity: 375,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 152
Generation sources fossil fuels: 1% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 211
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 135
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 93% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 7
Generation sources other renewable sources: 6% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 100

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 168
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 159
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 159
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 163

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 171
Products consumption: 6,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 171
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 176
Products imports: 4,769 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 173

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 164
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 170
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 145
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 152
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 165

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 1.082 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 167

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 14,357 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 184
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 9,799,352
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47.78 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 87

Telephone system

Broadcast media: radio is the main broadcast medium; privately owned Zodiak radio has the widest national broadcasting reach, followed by state-run radio; numerous private and community radio stations broadcast in cities and towns around the country; the largest TV network is government-owned, but at least 4 private TV networks broadcast in urban areas; relays of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)

Internet
Country code: .mw
Users total: 2,734,305
Users percent of population: 13.78% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 103

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 11,358 (2018 est.)
Rank: 168


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 128

Military and security 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 these services have yet to develop independent budgets, chains of command, and training institutions (2019)

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


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 9
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 10,545 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 10,000
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 7Q (2016)

Airports: 32 (2013)
Rank: 112
With paved runways total: 7 (2019)
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 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 13 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 767 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 767 km
Note: 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 99

Roadways
Total: 15,452 km (2015)
Paved: 4,074 km (2015)
Unpaved: 11,378 km (2015)
Rank: 123

Waterways: 700 km
Note: (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 (Lake Nyasa)


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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
Refugees: 29,416 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 10,838 (Burundi) (refugees and asylum seekers), 6,696 (Rwanda) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2020)

Illicit drugs