View Intelligence Dossier Back to 2018 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions [time series]

total: 9,220 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2017 est.)

Broadcast media [time series]

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 (2017)

Internet country code [time series]

.mw

Internet users [time series]

total: 1,785,369 (July 2016 est.) | percent of population: 9.6% (July 2016 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: rudimentary; two fixed-line and two mobile-cellular operators govern the market; some mobile services to rural areas; in a resolution to discourage crime the regulatory has imposed SIM card registration since July 2018; 50 licensed ISPs; DSL services are available; LTE services; trial to increase broadband availability (2017) | domestic: limited fixed-line subscribership less than 1 per 100 households; mobile-cellular services are expanding but network coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas; mobile-cellular subscribership approaching 40 per 100 households (2017) | international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean); recent access to international submarine fibre cable via neighboring countries (2017)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 17,337 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total subscriptions: 7,772,503 (2017 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 40 (2017 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: 1.356 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 1.567 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

-3.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate [time series]

16% (31 December 2017 est.) | 24% (31 December 2016 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

38.1% (31 December 2017 est.) | 44.11% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance [time series]

-$591 million (2017 est.) | -$744 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$2.102 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

46.1 (2010) | 39 (2004)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The country’s economic performance has historically been constrained by policy inconsistency, macroeconomic instability, poor infrastructure, rampant corruption, high population growth, 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 80% of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for more than half of exports, although Malawi is looking to diversify away from tobacco to other cash crops. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. Donors halted direct budget support from 2013 to 2016 because of concerns about corruption and fiscal carelessness, but the World Bank resumed budget support in May 2017. In 2006, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program but recent increases in domestic borrowing mean that debt servicing in 2016 exceeded the levels prior to HIPC debt relief. Heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, with corn being the staple crop, Malawi’s economy was hit hard by the El Nino-driven drought in 2015 and 2016, and now faces threat from the fall armyworm. The drought also slowed economic activity, led to two consecutive years of declining economic growth, and contributed to high inflation rates. Depressed food prices over 2017 led to a significant drop in inflation (from an average of 21.7% in 2016 to 12.3% in 2017), with a similar drop in interest rates.

Exchange rates [time series]

Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar - | 731.69 (2017 est.) | 720.1 (2016 est.) | 713.85 (2015 est.) | 499.6 (2014 est.) | 424.9 (2013 est.)

Exports [time series]

$1.42 billion (2017 est.) | $1.361 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

tobacco (55%), dried legumes (8.8%), sugar (6.7%), tea (5.7%), cotton (2%), peanuts, coffee, soy (2015 est.)

Exports - partners [time series]

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)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$6.24 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$22.42 billion (2017 est.) | $21.56 billion (2016 est.) | $21.08 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

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 [time series]

agriculture: 28.6% (2017 est.) | industry: 15.4% (2017 est.) | services: 56% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$1,200 (2017 est.) | $1,200 (2016 est.) | $1,200 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

4% (2017 est.) | 2.3% (2016 est.) | 3% (2015 est.)

Gross national saving [time series]

3.9% of GDP (2017 est.) | -2.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | 2.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 37.5% (2010 est.) | highest 10%: 37.5% (2010)

Imports [time series]

$2.312 billion (2017 est.) | $2.277 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

food, petroleum products, semi-manufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

Imports - partners [time series]

South Africa 20.7%, China 14.2%, India 11.6%, UAE 7%, Netherlands 4.4% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

1.2% (2017 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

12.2% (2017 est.) | 21.7% (2016 est.)

Labor force [time series]

7 million (2013 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 76.9% | industry: 4.1% | services: 19% (2013 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$18.97 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $8.643 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $101.9 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

50.7% (2010 est.)

Public debt [time series]

59.2% of GDP (2017 est.) | 60.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$780.2 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $585.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of broad money [time series]

$632.4 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $534 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]

$142.5 million (2015 est.)

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$1.161 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.049 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$632.4 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $534 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

21.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

20.4% (2013 est.)

Energy

Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]

1.082 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption [time series]

1.321 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

1% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

93% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

6% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

375,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

1.42 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access [time series]

population without electricity: 14.9 million (2013) | electrification - total population: 9% (2013) | electrification - urban areas: 32% (2013) | electrification - rural areas: 4% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

6,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

4,769 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 118,484 sq km | land: 94,080 sq km | water: 24,404 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation [time series]

mean elevation: 779 m | elevation extremes: 37 m lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique | 3002 highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje)

Environment - current issues [time series]

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 environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

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 | signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates [time series]

13 30 S, 34 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

740 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 2,857 km | border countries (3): Mozambique 1498 km, Tanzania 512 km, Zambia 847 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 59.2% (2011 est.) | arable land: 38.2% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 1.4% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 19.6% (2011 est.) | forest: 34% (2011 est.) | other: 6.8% (2011 est.)

Location [time series]

Southern Africa, east of Zambia, west and north of Mozambique

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards [time series]

flooding; droughts; earthquakes

Natural resources [time series]

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

Population distribution [time series]

population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

name: Lilongwe | geographic coordinates: 13 58 S, 33 47 E | time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship [time series]

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

Constitution [time series]

history: previous 1953 (preindependence), 1966; latest drafted January to May 1994, approved 16 May 1994, entered into force 18 May 1995 (2018) | 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 (2018)

Country name [time series]

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"

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Virginia E. PALMER (since 5 February 2015) | embassy: 16 Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lilongwe 3 | mailing address: P.O. Box 30016, Lilongwe 3, Malawi | telephone: 265 (0) 1773166 | FAX: 265 (0) 1770471

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Edward Yakobe SAWERENGERA (since 16 September 2016) | chancery: 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 721-0270 | FAX: [1] (202) 721-0288

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA (since 31 May 2014); 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 (since 31 May 2014); Vice President Saulos CHILIMA (since 31 May 2014) | cabinet: Cabinet named by the president | elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 May 2014 (next to be held on 21 May 2019) | election results: Peter MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Peter MUTHARIKA (DPP) 36.4%, Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 27.8%, Joyce BANDA (PP) 20.2%, Atupele MULUZI (UDF) 13.7%, other 1.9%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

presidential republic

Independence [time series]

6 July 1964 (from the UK)

International law organization participation [time series]

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

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

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

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 20-22 May 2014 (next to be held on 21 May 2019) | election results: percent of vote by party - DPP 22%, MCP 17.4%, PP 18.5%, UDF 9.6%, other 2.8%, independent 29.7%; seats by party - DPP 51, MCP 48, PP 26, UDF 14, other 2, independent 52

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

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

National symbol(s) [time series]

lion; national colors: black, red, green

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Enoch CHIHANA] 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]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

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. 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. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.

Military and Security

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Malawi Defense Force (MDF): Army (includes Air Wing, Marine Unit) (2018)

Military expenditures [time series]

0.61% of GDP (2016) | 0.7% of GDP (2015) | 0.89% of GDP (2014) | 1.24% of GDP (2013) | 0.82% of GDP (2012)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

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)

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 46.17% (male 4,560,940 /female 4,600,184) | 15-24 years: 20.58% (male 2,023,182 /female 2,059,765) | 25-54 years: 27.57% (male 2,717,613 /female 2,752,983) | 55-64 years: 3% (male 284,187 /female 310,393) | 65 years and over: 2.69% (male 234,776 /female 298,537) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Africa :: Malawi Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Malawi. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate [time series]

40.7 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]

11.7% (2015)

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

59.2% (2015/16)

Death rate [time series]

7.7 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic profile [time series]

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.

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 91 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 85.3 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 5.7 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 17.4 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

4.7% of GDP (2016)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Chewa 35.1%, Lomwe 18.9%, Yao 13.1%, Ngoni 12%, Tumbuka 9.4%, Sena 3.5%, Mang'anja 2.5%, Tonga 1.8%, Nyanja 1%, Nkhonde 0.9%, other 1.8% (2015-16 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

9.6% (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

17,000 (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

1 million (2017 est.)

Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]

11.4% of GDP (2014)

Hospital bed density [time series]

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 42.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 48.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | female: 35.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 62.2 years (2018 est.) | male: 60.2 years (2018 est.) | female: 64.3 years (2018 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.) | total population: 62.1% (2015 est.) | male: 69.8% (2015 est.) | female: 55.2% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

degree of risk: very high (2016) | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016) | vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever (2016) | water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016) | animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)

Major urban areas - population [time series]

1.03 million LILONGWE (capital), 879,000 Blantyre-Limbe (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]

634 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 16.6 years | male: 16.5 years | female: 16.8 years (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Malawian(s) | adjective: Malawian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

5.8% (2016)

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population [time series]

19,842,560 (July 2018 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

Population distribution [time series]

population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa

Population growth rate [time series]

3.31% (2018 est.)

Religions [time series]

Protestant 27.2% (includes Church of Central Africa Presbyterian 17.7%, Seventh Day Adventist/Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 2.6%), Catholic 18.4%, other Christian 41%, Muslim 12.1%, other 0.3%, none 1% (2015-16 est.)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 11 years (2011) | male: 11 years (2011) | female: 11 years (2011)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 0-14 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.43 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]

total: 8% (2013 est.) | male: 7.4% (2013 est.) | female: 8.5% (2013 est.)

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 16.9% of total population (2018) | rate of urbanization: 4.19% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

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 [time series]

refugees (country of origin): 22,696 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 7,500 (Burundi) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2018) | IDPs: 8,463 (floods in 2015) (2016)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

32 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 7 (2017) | over 3,047 m: 1 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2017) | 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 25 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 11 (2013) | under 914 m: 13 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]

7Q (2016)

National air transport system [time series]

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2 (2015) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 6,010 (2015) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5,467 mt-km (2015)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

lake port(s): Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba (Lake Nyasa)

Railways [time series]

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

Roadways [time series]

total: 15,452 km (2015) | paved: 4,074 km (2015) | unpaved: 11,378 km (2015)

Waterways [time series]

700 km (on Lake Nyasa [Lake Malawi] and Shire River) (2010)