Malawi

Broadcast media

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

.mw

Internet users

total: 1,785,369 | percent of population: 9.6% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135

Telephone system

general assessment: rudimentary; one fixed-line and two mobile-cellular operators govern the market | domestic: limited fixed-line subscribership of about 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 | international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 11,234 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 7,178,384 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $1.109 billion | expenditures: $1.409 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 163

Central bank discount rate

24% (25 November 2016) | 27% (July 2016) | country comparison to the world: 3

Commercial bank prime lending rate

44.1% (31 December 2016 est.) | 44.39% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 3

Current account balance

$-739 million (2016 est.) | $-714.9 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Debt - external

$1.985 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.766 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Distribution of family income - Gini index

46.1 (2010) | 39.9 (2004) | country comparison to the world: 32

Economy - overview

Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The country’s economic performance has historically been constrained by policy inconsistency, macroeconomic instability, limited connectivity to the region and the world, 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. | The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. 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. President MUTHARIKA launched the Public Financial Management and Public Sector reform programs upon taking office in 2014 to increase accountability following the 2013 “Cashgate” scandal. | 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. The drought also slowed economic activity, led to two consecutive years of declining economic growth, and contributed to high inflation rates. Following a successful humanitarian response in 2016 and 2017 providing food assistance to 6.7 million people - 40% of the population - and increased transparency by agricultural parastatals, the economy has stabilized and inflation is dropping.

Exchange rates

Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar - | 713.85 (2016 est.) | 713.85 (2015 est.) | 499.6 (2014 est.) | 424.9 (2013 est.) | 249.11 (2012 est.)

Exports

$1.361 billion (2016 est.) | $1.438 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Zimbabwe 12.9%, Mozambique 11%, Belgium 8.2%, South Africa 7.2%, US 6%, China 4.6%, Germany 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2016)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP (official exchange rate)

$5.489 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$21.13 billion (2016 est.) | $20.4 billion (2015 est.) | $19.61 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 144

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 81% | government consumption: 16.2% | investment in fixed capital: 11.9% | investment in inventories: 2.9% | exports of goods and services: 33.3% | imports of goods and services: -45.2% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 28.3% | industry: 16% | services: 55.8% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,100 (2016 est.) | $1,100 (2015 est.) | $1,100 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 223

GDP - real growth rate

2.3% (2016 est.) | 3% (2015 est.) | 5.7% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 125

Gross national saving

-3.3% of GDP (2016 est.) | 2.7% of GDP (2015 est.) | 3.6% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.2% | highest 10%: 37.5% (2010 est.)

Imports

$2.318 billion (2016 est.) | $2.146 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

South Africa 20.2%, China 13.8%, India 10.8%, UAE 9.7%, Zambia 5.7% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

2.4% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

21.7% (2016 est.) | 21.9% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 220

Labor force

7 million (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 64.1% | industry: 6.7% | services: 29.2% (2013 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$796.2 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $936.3 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $1.341 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Population below poverty line

50.7% (2010 est.)

Public debt

56.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | 40.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$563.1 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $701.5 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 143

Stock of broad money

$1.238 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $1.172 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$800 million (2015) | country comparison to the world: 120

Stock of domestic credit

$1.054 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $812.4 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166

Stock of narrow money

$536.6 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $478.4 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 165

Taxes and other revenues

20.2% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 154

Unemployment rate

20.4% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

1.9 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 158

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 165

Electricity - consumption

1.972 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 144

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Electricity - from fossil fuels

0.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 212

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

93.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Electricity - from other renewable sources

6.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 172

Electricity - installed generating capacity

353,100 kW (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Electricity - production

2.12 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 139

Electricity access

population without electricity: 14,900,000 | electrification - total population: 9% | electrification - urban areas: 32% | electrification - rural areas: 4% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169

Refined petroleum products - consumption

7,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 165

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178

Refined petroleum products - imports

6,843 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171

Area

total: 118,484 sq km | land: 94,080 sq km | water: 24,404 sq km | country comparison to the world: 101

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

mean elevation: 779 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m | highest point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations

Environment - international agreements

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

13 30 S, 34 00 E

Geography - note

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

740 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 2,857 km | border countries (3): Mozambique 1,498 km, Tanzania 512 km, Zambia 847 km

Land use

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

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

flooding; droughts; earthquakes

Natural resources

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

Population - distribution

population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa

Terrain

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

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

Capital

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

Citizenship

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

history: previous 1953 (preindependence), 1966; latest drafted January to May 1994, approved 16 May 1994, entered into force 18 May 1995 | 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 2013 (2017)

Country name

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

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] (1) 773-166 | FAX: [265] (1) 770-471

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

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 in 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 description

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

presidential republic

Independence

6 July 1964 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

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 upon 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

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

Legislative branch

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 in May 2019) | election results: percent of vote by party - DPP 22.0%, 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

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

National holiday

Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: black, red, green

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Godfrey SHAWA] | 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, development) | Human Rights Consultative Committee or HRCC (human rights) | Malawi Economic Justice Network or MEJN (pro-economic growth, development, government accountability) | Malawi Law Society (an umbrella organization of all lawyers in Malawi) | Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes democracy, development, peace, unity)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

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. 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 branches

Malawi Defense Forces (MDF): Army (includes Air Wing, Marine Unit) (2012)

Military expenditures

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) | country comparison to the world: 104

Military service age and obligation

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)

Age structure

0-14 years: 46.34% (male 4,427,403/female 4,468,120) | 15-24 years: 20.55% (male 1,956,360/female 1,988,123) | 25-54 years: 27.41% (male 2,612,840/female 2,648,997) | 55-64 years: 3.01% (male 275,998/female 302,286) | 65 years and over: 2.69% (male 227,582/female 288,537) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

41 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

16.7% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 52

Contraceptive prevalence rate

59.2% (2015/16)

Death rate

7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94

Demographic profile

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

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

Drinking water source

urban: 95.7% of population | rural: 89.1% of population | total: 90.2% of population | urban: 4.3% of population | rural: 10.9% of population | total: 9.8% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

5.6% of GDP (2015) | country comparison to the world: 60

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

9.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

HIV/AIDS - deaths

24,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Health expenditures

11.4% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 9

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 43.4 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 50 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 36.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 43

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 61.7 years | male: 59.7 years | female: 63.8 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200

Literacy

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

Major infectious diseases

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

Major urban areas - population

LILONGWE (capital) 905,000; Blantyre-Limbe 808,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality ratio

634 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Median age

total: 16.5 years | male: 16.4 years | female: 16.7 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 226

Mother's mean age at first birth

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

Nationality

noun: Malawian(s) | adjective: Malawian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.8% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 172

Physicians density

0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

19,196,246 | 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 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61

Population distribution

population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa

Population growth rate

3.31% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 5

Religions

Protestant 26.9%, Catholic 18.1%, other Christian 41.9%, Muslim 12.5%, other 0.1%, none 0.5% (2015 est.)

Sanitation facility access

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female | total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.49 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 8.6% | male: 9.1% | female: 8.2% (2013 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 16.6% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 4.02% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

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

refugees (country of origin): 5,444 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (2016) | IDPs: 8,463 (floods in 2015) (2016)

Airports

32 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 113

Airports - with paved runways

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

Airports - with unpaved runways

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

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

7Q (2016)

National air transport system

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

Ports and terminals

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

Railways

total: 767 km | narrow gauge: 767 km 1.067-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 98

Roadways

total: 15,450 km | paved: 6,951 km | unpaved: 8,499 km (2011) | country comparison to the world: 121

Waterways

700 km (on Lake Nyasa [Lake Malawi] and Shire River) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 75