Capital

Malawi

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

Citizenship

Malawi

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

Legal system

Malawi

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

Suffrage

Malawi

18 years of age; universal

Area

Malawi

total: 118,484 sq km

land: 94,080 sq km

water: 24,404 sq km

Land use

Malawi

agricultural land: 59.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 38.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 19.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 34% (2018 est.)

other: 6.8% (2018 est.)

Location

Malawi

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

Age structure

Malawi

0-14 years: 38.54% (male 4,073,674/female 4,128,035)

15-64 years: 57.64% (male 6,001,150/female 6,264,749)

65 years and over: 3.82% (2023 est.) (male 362,428/female 449,561)

Birth rate

Malawi

27.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Malawi

4.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Malawi

English (official), Chewa (common), 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

Life expectancy at birth

Malawi

total population: 72.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 69.6 years

female: 75.9 years

Major urban areas - population

Malawi

1.276 million LILONGWE (capital), 1.031 million Blantyre-Limbe (2023)

Median age

Malawi

total: 20 years (2023 est.)

male: 19.7 years

female: 20.2 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Malawi

19.1 years (2015/16 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Net migration rate

Malawi

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Malawi

population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

Malawi

2.28% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Malawi

3.3 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Malawi

urban population: 18.3% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 4.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Malawi

2.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Malawi

total: 11 years

male: 11 years

female: 11 years (2011)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Malawi

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

Industrial production growth rate

Malawi

1.9% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Malawi

8.551 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Malawi

51.5% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate

Malawi

7.02% (2021 est.)

6.7% (2020 est.)

5.75% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Malawi

44.89% of GDP (2019 est.)

41.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

34.29% of GDP (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Malawi

8.63% (2020 est.)

9.37% (2019 est.)

12.42% (2018 est.)

Exports

Malawi

$1.538 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$1.268 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$1.447 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Malawi

Belgium 16%, United States 8%, Egypt 7%, South Africa 6%, Germany 6%, Kenya 5%, United Arab Emirates 5% (2019)

Imports

Malawi

$3.582 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.208 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.266 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Malawi

South Africa 17%, China 16%, United Arab Emirates 9%, India 9%, United Kingdom 8% (2019)

Airports

Malawi

32 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Malawi

total: 12,255 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Malawi

total: 4.8 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 24% (2021 est.)

Railways

Malawi

total: 767 km (2014)

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

Roadways

Malawi

total: 15,452 km (2015)

paved: 4,074 km (2015)

unpaved: 11,378 km (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

Malawi

total subscriptions: 12,465 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular

Malawi

total subscriptions: 11,940,135 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Malawi

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

Disputes - international

Malawi

Malawi-Mozambique: the two countries have held exercises to reaffirm boundaries a number of times

Malawi-Tanzania: 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

Malawi-Zambia: border demarcation was completed in 2011; in 2018, the redemarcation exercise determined that some parts of Malawi actually belonged to Zambia