Malawi
Republic of Malawi
Population
21.76M
Area
118,484 km²
GDP
$11.01B
GDP Per Capita
$1,600
Pop. Density
184/km²
Quick Facts
Currency
MKMalawian kwacha(MWK)
Calling Code
+265
Timezone
UTC+02:00
Languages
English, Chewa
Driving Side
left
Demonym
Malawian
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.
Historical Trends
GDP (USD)
↑94.5% since 2006Population
↑64.1% since 2006Life Expectancy at Birth
Latest: 67.4 yearsData source: World Bank Open Data
Geography20
Location
Southern Africa, east of Zambia, west and north of Mozambique
Geographic coordinates
13 30 S, 34 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
land: 94,080 sq km
water: 24,404 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries
border countries: Mozambique 1,498 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
lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
mean elevation: 779 m
Natural resources
limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Land use
agricultural land
agricultural land: arable land
agricultural land: permanent crops
agricultural land: permanent pasture
forest
other
Irrigated land
740 sq km (2012)
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s): Lake Chilwa - 1,040 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km)
note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)
Population distribution
population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa, as shown in this population distribution map
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
People & Society35
Population
male: 10,674,594
female: 11,088,715
Nationality
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 0.3% (2018 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.)
Age structure
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)
Dependency ratios
youth dependency ratio: 64.6 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 6.7 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 15 (2024 est.)
Median age
male: 20 years
female: 20.6 years
Population growth rate
2.16% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
28.04 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
3.57 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
-2.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution
population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa, as shown in this population distribution map
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 4.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.276 million LILONGWE (capital), 1.031 million Blantyre-Limbe (2023)
Sex ratio
0-14 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
19.1 years (2015/16 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
225 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male: 36.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 27.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
male: 69.9 years
female: 76.1 years
Total fertility rate
3.33 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
1.65 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 3.3% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
5.8% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer: 0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0 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.)
Tobacco use
male: 11.7% (2025 est.)
female: 1.4% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
11.6% (2020 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
62.1% (2020 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 18: 37.7% (2020)
men married by age 18: 7% (2020)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% national budget): 16% national budget (2024 est.)
Literacy
male: 78.6% (2020 est.)
female: 62.7% (2020 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male: 10 years (2021 est.)
female: 10 years (2021 est.)
Government23
Country name
conventional long form
conventional short form
local long form
local short form
former
etymology
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
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; the origin of the river's name is unclear
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
Legal system
mixed system of English common law and customary law; Supreme Court of Appeal reviews legislative acts
Constitution
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
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
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
head of government
cabinet
election/appointment process
most recent election date
election results
2020: Lazarus CHAKWERA elected president; Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 59.3%, Peter Mutharika (DPP) 39.9%, other 0.8%
expected date of next election
Legislative branch
legislature name
legislative structure
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Judicial branch
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
subordinate courts: High Court; magistrate courts; Industrial Relations Court; district and city traditional or local courts
Political parties
Malawi Congress Party or MCP
People's Party or PP
United Democratic Front or UDF
United Transformation Movement or UTM
Diplomatic representation in the US
chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 451- 0409
email address and website:
[email protected]
Home | Malawi Embassy USA
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
embassy
mailing address
telephone
FAX
email address and website
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, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Independence
6 July 1964 (from the UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 6 July (1964)
Flag
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
National symbol(s)
lion
National color(s)
black, red, green
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Michael-Fredrick Paul SAUKA
history: adopted 1964
National heritage
selected World Heritage Site locales: Lake Malawi National Park (n); Chongoni Rock-Art Area (c); Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape (c)
Economy30
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $34.789 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $34.143 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 0.9% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2023: $1,600 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $1,700 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$11.009 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 28.8% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 21% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry: 16% (2024 est.)
services: 44.9% (2024 est.)
Agricultural products
sweet potatoes, cassava, maize, sugarcane, mangoes/guavas, potatoes, tomatoes, pigeon peas, pumpkins/squash, plantains (2023)
Industries
tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods
Industrial production growth rate
2.1% (2024 est.)
Labor force
8.602 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2023: 5.1% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 5.1% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male: 6.4% (2024 est.)
female: 7.1% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line
50.7% (2019 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Household income or consumption by percentage share
highest 10%: 31% (2019 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2022: 2.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 2.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
Budget
expenditures: $3.523 billion (2022 est.)
Public debt
Taxes and other revenues
13.5% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Current account balance
Current account balance 2022: -$2.218 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2021: -$1.918 billion (2021 est.)
Exports
Exports 2022: $1.487 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2021: $1.587 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
Germany 11%, India 7%, Zimbabwe 6%, South Africa 5%, USA 5% (2023)
Exports - commodities
tobacco, tea, dried legumes, soybean meal, raw sugar (2023)
Imports
Imports 2022: $3.834 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2021: $3.768 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
China 17%, South Africa 16%, UAE 12%, India 7%, Tanzania 7% (2023)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, fertilizers, plastics, garments, postage stamps/documents (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019: $846.84 million (2019 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018: $766.155 million (2018 est.)
Debt - external
Exchange rates
Currency
Exchange rates 2023
Exchange rates 2022
Exchange rates 2021
Exchange rates 2020
Exchange rates 2019
Energy6
Electricity access
electrification - urban areas: 54%
electrification - rural areas: 5.6%
Electricity
consumption: 1.585 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 19.938 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 231.785 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar: 0.7% 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.)
Coal
consumption: 22,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 19,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 801.999 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
Energy consumption per capita
Communications6
Telephones - fixed lines
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1
Telephones - mobile cellular
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 69 (2024 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
Internet users
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2023 est.) less than 1
Transportation3
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
7Q
Airports
27 (2025)
Railways
narrow gauge: 767 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge
Military & Security7
Military and security forces
Ministry of Homeland Security: Malawi Police Service (2025)
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2023: 1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 0.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 0.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
estimated 10,000 active Malawi Defense Forces (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 service age and obligation
18-24 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service (2025)
Military deployments
750 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2025)
Military - note
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)
Transnational Issues1
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 135,728 (2024 est.)