Malawi

presidential republic

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; the origin of the river's name is unclear

chief of state: President Peter MUTHARIKA (since 4 October 2025) head of government: President Peter MUTHARIKA (since 4 October 2025) cabinet: Cabinet named by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: September 2030 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% expected date of next election: September 2030 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

legislature name: National Assembly legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 229 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 9/16/2025 parties elected and seats per party: Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (78); Malawi Congress Party (MCP) (52); Independents (73); Other (21) percentage of women in chamber: 21.4% expected date of next election: September 2025

highest court(s): 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 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

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

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

0.8% of GDP (2024 est.) 1% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.8% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.9% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

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) note: the MDF reports directly to the president as commander in chief

18-24 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service (2025)

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)

750 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2025)

$35.425 billion (2024 est.) $34.789 billion (2023 est.) $34.143 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$1,600 (2024 est.) $1,600 (2023 est.) $1,700 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

1.8% (2024 est.) 1.9% (2023 est.) 0.9% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

32.2% (2024 est.) 28.8% (2023 est.) 21% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

55.6% of GDP (2022 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$1.526 billion (2023 est.) $1.487 billion (2022 est.) $1.587 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$3.995 billion (2023 est.) $3.834 billion (2022 est.) $3.768 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

5.1% (2024 est.) 5.1% (2023 est.) 5.1% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $2.208 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $3.523 billion (2022 est.) 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

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

sweet potatoes, cassava, maize, sugarcane, mangoes/guavas, potatoes, tomatoes, pigeon peas, pumpkins/squash, plantains (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 21,763,309 (2024 est.) male: 10,674,594 female: 11,088,715

2.16% (2025 est.)

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)

28.04 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

3.57 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-2.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 73 years (2024 est.) male: 69.9 years female: 76.1 years

urban population: 18.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 4.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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.)

English (official), Chewa (dominant), Lambya, Lomwe, Ngoni, Nkhonde, Nyakyusa, Nyanja, Sena, Tonga, Tumbuka, Yao note : Chewa and Nyanja are mutually intelligible dialects; Nkhonde and Nyakyusa are mutually intelligible dialects

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.)

total population: 70.2% (2020 est.) male: 78.6% (2020 est.) female: 62.7% (2020 est.)

limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite

refugees: 56,659 (2024 est.) IDPs: 135,728 (2024 est.)

27 (2025)

total: 767 km (2014) narrow gauge: 767 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

total subscriptions: 15 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 69 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 18% (2023 est.)