Malawi
Capital: LilongweRegion: Sub-Saharan Africa Income: Low income
GDP
$17.86B
2026
Population
21.7M
2024
GDP per Capita
$721
2026
Life Expectancy
67.4 years
2023
Economy
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (Current USD, Billions) | $17.86B | 2026 |
| Real GDP Growth (%) | 2.7% | 2026 |
| GDP per Capita (USD) | $721 | 2026 |
| GDP, PPP (Billions Intl $) | $44.22B | 2026 |
| GDP per Capita, PPP (Intl $) | $2K | 2026 |
| Share of World GDP, PPP (%) | 0.02% | 2026 |
| GNI (Current USD) | $11.12B | 2024 |
| GNI per Capita (USD) | $570 | 2024 |
| GNI per Capita, PPP (USD) | $2K | 2024 |
| Industry Value Added (% of GDP) | 17.1% | 2024 |
| Services Value Added (% of GDP) | 44.2% | 2024 |
| Agriculture Value Added (% of GDP) | 31.8% | 2024 |
| Government Consumption (% of GDP) | 19.0% | 2023 |
| Household Consumption (% of GDP) | 85.2% | 2023 |
| Gross Capital Formation (% of GDP) | 14.5% | 2023 |
| Gross Savings (% of GNI) | -1.1% | 2023 |
| GDP Deflator (%) | 24.7% | 2024 |
| GDP per Person Employed (USD) | $5K | 2024 |
| Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP) | 11.0% | 2024 |
| Medium/High-Tech Manufacturing (% of total) | 3.7% | 2022 |
| Adjusted Net National Income per Capita (USD) | $563 | 2021 |
| External Balance on Goods & Services (% of GDP) | -19.9% | 2023 |
| Coal Rents (% of GDP) | 0.02% | 2021 |
| Mineral Rents (% of GDP) | 0.01% | 2021 |
| Oil Rents (% of GDP) | 0.00% | 2021 |
| Natural Gas Rents (% of GDP) | 0.00% | 2021 |
| Total Natural Resources Rents (% of GDP) | 4.2% | 2021 |
| Forest Rents (% of GDP) | 4.20% | 2021 |
| Industry Value Added (Current USD) | $1.93B | 2024 |
Fiscal & Monetary
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Inflation, Consumer Prices (%) | 24.1% | 2026 |
| Govt Gross Debt (% of GDP) | 78.3% | 2026 |
| Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) | -12.8% | 2026 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -16.4% | 2026 |
| Total Investment (% of GDP) | 11.1% | 2026 |
| Gross National Savings (% of GDP) | -5.3% | 2026 |
| Inflation, CPI (%, World Bank) | 32.2% | 2024 |
| Lending Interest Rate (%) | 37.1% | 2024 |
| Government Debt (% of GDP) | 55.6% | 2022 |
| Government Revenue (% of GDP) | 14.1% | 2022 |
| Tax Revenue (% of GDP) | 13.5% | 2022 |
| Taxes on Goods & Services (% of revenue) | 32.7% | 2022 |
| Taxes on Income, Profits & Capital Gains (% of rev) | 35.8% | 2022 |
| Net Investment in Nonfinancial Assets (% of GDP) | 8.2% | 2022 |
| Total Reserves incl. Gold (USD) | $594.5M | 2020 |
| Total Reserves (months of imports) | 1.9 | 2020 |
| Official Exchange Rate (per USD) | 1,161.09 | 2023 |
| Broad Money (% of GDP) | 23.7% | 2023 |
Trade
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Trade (% of GDP) | 42.4% | 2023 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (% of GDP) | 31.2% | 2023 |
| Exports of Goods & Services (USD) | $1.50B | 2023 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (USD) | $4.17B | 2023 |
| Merchandise Exports (USD) | $947.0M | 2024 |
| Merchandise Imports (USD) | $3.26B | 2024 |
| FDI Inflows (% of GDP) | 6.0% | 2024 |
| FDI Outflows (% of GDP) | 0.5% | 2024 |
| FDI Net Inflows (USD) | $681.3M | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (USD) | $186.8M | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (% of GDP) | 1.7% | 2024 |
| High-Tech Exports (% of manufactured) | 1.6% | 2024 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -18.8% | 2024 |
| Current Account Balance (USD) | $-2.13B | 2024 |
External Debt
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| External Debt (% of GNI) | 35.2% | 2024 |
| External Debt Stocks (USD) | $3.74B | 2024 |
| Total Debt Service (% of GNI) | 1.5% | 2024 |
| Present Value of External Debt (USD) | $2.10B | 2024 |
| Use of IMF Credit (USD) | $664.5M | 2024 |
| Net ODA Received (% of GNI) | 13.2% | 2023 |
Finance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP) | 7.7% | 2023 |
| Bank Capital to Assets Ratio (%) | 8.2% | 2023 |
| Bank Nonperforming Loans (%) | 5.1% | 2023 |
| Account Ownership at Financial Institution (%) | 50.4% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Female (%) | 46.3% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Male (%) | 54.8% | 2024 |
| Firms Using Banks to Finance Investment (%) | 47.7% | 2025 |
Business Environment
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Get Electricity (days) | 31 | 2025 |
Private Sector
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Firms Expected to Pay Bribes (%) | 15.9% | 2025 |
| Firms with Female Top Manager (%) | 17.9% | 2025 |
| Firms with Female Participation in Ownership (%) | 13.5% | 2025 |
| Average Firm Age (years) | 16 years | 2025 |
| Firms Using Computers (%) | 58.0% | 2025 |
People
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 21.7M | 2024 |
| Population Growth (%) | 2.6% | 2024 |
| Population Density (per km²) | 224 | 2023 |
| Surface Area (sq km) | 118,480 | 2023 |
| Land Area (sq km) | 94,280 | 2023 |
| Urban Population (%) | 17.3% | 2024 |
| Urban Population (total) | 3.7M | 2024 |
| Rural Population (%) | 82.7% | 2024 |
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 67.4 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Male | 64.1 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Female | 70.6 years | 2023 |
| Fertility Rate (births per woman) | 3.6 | 2023 |
| Birth Rate (per 1,000) | 31.4 | 2023 |
| Death Rate (per 1,000) | 5.4 | 2023 |
| Net Migration | -5,628 | 2025 |
| Population Ages 0–14 (%) | 40.7% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 15–64 (%) | 56.7% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 65+ (%) | 2.6% | 2024 |
| Age Dependency Ratio (%) | 76.3% | 2024 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Male (per 1,000) | 275.4 | 2023 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Female (per 1,000) | 164.5 | 2023 |
Labor
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Total Labor Force | 8.3M | 2025 |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 62.6% | 2025 |
| Female Labor Force Participation (%) | 58.2% | 2025 |
| Male Labor Force Participation (%) | 67.3% | 2025 |
| Unemployment (%) | 5.1% | 2025 |
| Female Unemployment (%) | 6.0% | 2025 |
| Male Unemployment (%) | 4.2% | 2025 |
| Youth Unemployment (%) | 6.9% | 2025 |
| Employment in Agriculture (%) | 65.0% | 2025 |
| Employment in Industry (%) | 7.3% | 2025 |
| Employment in Services (%) | 27.7% | 2025 |
| Vulnerable Employment (%) | 59.9% | 2025 |
| Wage & Salaried Workers (% of total) | 38.7% | 2025 |
| Part-Time Employment (%) | 64.7% | 2024 |
| Employers (% of total employment) | 1.4% | 2025 |
| Labor Force, Female (% of total) | 48.3% | 2025 |
Education
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Education Spending (% of GDP) | 2.7% | 2022 |
| Education Spending (% of govt expenditure) | 16.0% | 2024 |
| Primary School Enrollment (%) | 139.0% | 2024 |
| Secondary School Enrollment (%) | 36.6% | 2023 |
| Tertiary School Enrollment (%) | 2.7% | 2022 |
| Primary Completion Rate (%) | 70.1% | 2024 |
| Lower Secondary Completion Rate (%) | 24.4% | 2024 |
| Out-of-School Children, Primary | 70,758 | 2022 |
| Primary School Teachers | 87,834 | 2024 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Primary | 59 | 2018 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Secondary | 72 | 2018 |
| Expenditure per Student, Primary (% of GDP/cap) | 43.9% | 2016 |
Health
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Health Spending (% of GDP) | 6.5% | 2023 |
| Health Spending per Capita (USD) | $41 | 2023 |
| Government Health Spending (% of GDP) | 0.8% | 2023 |
| Out-of-Pocket Health Spending (% of total) | 12.0% | 2023 |
| Physicians (per 1,000 people) | 0.1 | 2022 |
| Nurses & Midwives (per 1,000) | 0.5 | 2022 |
| Infant Mortality (per 1,000 live births) | 38.3 | 2023 |
| Under-5 Mortality, Female (per 1,000) | 34.0 | 2023 |
| Under-5 Mortality, Male (per 1,000) | 42.6 | 2023 |
| Cause of Death, Communicable (%) | 49.6% | 2019 |
| Cause of Death, Non-Communicable (%) | 40.2% | 2019 |
| Cause of Death, Injury (%) | 10.2% | 2019 |
| Measles Immunization (% of children) | 89.0% | 2024 |
| DPT Immunization (% of children) | 91.0% | 2024 |
| HIV Incidence (per 1,000) | 0.58 | 2024 |
| Tuberculosis Incidence (per 100,000) | 113 | 2024 |
| Stunting, Children Under 5 (%) | 35.5% | 2020 |
| Overweight, Children Under 5 (%) | 4.4% | 2020 |
| Smoking Prevalence, Males (%) | 16.4% | 2022 |
| Smoking Prevalence, Females (%) | 3.0% | 2022 |
| Suicide Mortality Rate (per 100,000) | 7.6 | 2021 |
| Alcohol Consumption (liters per capita) | 3.6 | 2020 |
Energy & Environment
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Renewable Electricity Output (%) | 80.1% | 2021 |
| Renewable Energy Consumption (%) | 62.9% | 2022 |
| Access to Clean Fuels for Cooking (%) | 1.5% | 2023 |
| PM2.5 Air Pollution (µg/m³) | 23.7 | 2020 |
| Forest Area (%) | 22.4% | 2023 |
| Forest Area (sq km) | 21,157 | 2023 |
| Terrestrial Protected Areas (%) | 23.1% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Drinking Water (%) | 73.1% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Sanitation (%) | 49.2% | 2024 |
Agriculture
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Land (%) | 64.2% | 2023 |
| Cereal Yield (kg per hectare) | 1,857 | 2023 |
| Food Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 146.1 | 2022 |
| Crop Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 135.5 | 2022 |
| Livestock Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 190.1 | 2022 |
| Land Under Cereal Production (hectares) | 2.0M | 2023 |
| Fertilizer Consumption (kg per hectare) | 87.4 | 2023 |
| Annual Freshwater Withdrawals (% of internal) | 8.4% | 2022 |
Technology
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Internet Users (%) | 18.0% | 2023 |
| Fixed Broadband Subscriptions (per 100) | 0.1 | 2023 |
| Secure Internet Servers (per million) | 32.5 | 2024 |
| Scientific Journal Articles | 362 | 2022 |
| High-Technology Exports (USD) | $1.2M | 2024 |
| ICT Service Exports (% of service exports) | 31.7% | 2024 |
Infrastructure
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Air Transport, Passengers Carried | 3,507 | 2023 |
| Air Transport, Freight (million ton-km) | 0.0 | 2021 |
| Logistics Performance Index (1–5) | 2.59 | 2018 |
| Electricity from Oil (%) | 19.9% | 2021 |
| Electricity from Nuclear (%) | 0.0% | 2021 |
Gender
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Women in Parliament (%) | 20.7% | 2024 |
| Female Labor Force Participation, 15+ (%) | 44.8% | 2024 |
| Female Wage & Salaried Workers (%) | 32.6% | 2025 |
| Girls Out-of-School Rate (%) | 130.1% | 2018 |
| Adolescent Fertility Rate (per 1,000) | 113.6 | 2023 |
| Gender Parity Index, Secondary | 0.83 | 2019 |
Governance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Control of Corruption | -0.60 | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness | -0.86 | 2023 |
| Regulatory Quality | -0.77 | 2023 |
| Voice & Accountability | 0.08 | 2023 |
| Control of Corruption (percentile rank) | 29.7% | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness (percentile rank) | 19.8% | 2023 |
| Rule of Law (percentile rank) | 46.2% | 2023 |
| Political Stability (percentile rank) | 37.9% | 2023 |
Military
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Military Spending (% of GDP) | 1.0% | 2024 |
| Armed Forces (% of labor force) | 0.2% | 2020 |
Social Protection
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Social Assistance Coverage (%) | 37.7% | 2019 |
| Human Capital Index (0–1) | 0.41 | 2020 |
| Human Capital Index, Female | 0.38 | 2010 |
| Human Capital Index, Male | 0.35 | 2010 |
| Learning-Adjusted Years of School | 5.5 years | 2020 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| International Tourism, Arrivals | 871,000 | 2018 |
| Tourism Receipts (USD) | $35.0M | 2020 |
| Tourism Expenditures (USD) | $119.0M | 2020 |
| Tourism Receipts (% of total exports) | 2.7% | 2020 |
| International Tourism, Transport Services (USD) | $5.0M | 2020 |
Urban Development
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population in Largest City | 1.4M | 2025 |
| Population in Agglomerations >1M (% of total) | 6.3% | 2025 |
| Population in Slums (% of urban) | 38.0% | 2022 |
| Rural Population Growth (%) | 2.2% | 2024 |
| Access to Safely Managed Sanitation (%) | 46.2% | 2024 |