Malawi: Fact file

Updated March 2010

Name Republic of Malawi
Area 118 484 sq km (Frame 2008, 712)
Capital Lilongwe
Major cities Blantyre, Mzuzu, Zomba, Karonga, Kasungu, Mangochi, Salima (Frame 2008, 712)
Boundaries Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania (Landlocked)
Population 14.4 million, 2007 (UNDP 2009)
Natural pop growth 2.8%, 2005-2010 (UNDP 2009)
Urbanisation 11.6%, 1990 (UNDP 2009)
Life expectancy Female 53.4 yrs, male 51.3 yrs; 2007 (UNDP 2009)
Infant mortality 84/1000, 2005-2010 (UN Statistics Division 2010a)
HIV/AIDS prevalence 15-49 yrs: 12.0%; 2007 est (Office of the President and Cabinet 2008, ix)
Adult Literacy rate Female 64.6%, male 79.2%; 2007 (UNDP 2009)
Military expenditure 1.2% of GDP; 2005 (UN Statistics Division 2010b)
Health expenditure 12.2% of GDP; 2005 (UN Statistics Division 2010c)
Legal system English common law, customary law (Kapindu 2009)
Independence 6 July 1964, from United Kingdom
GDP US$3.538 billion, 2007 est (IMF 2008)
GDP growth rate 9.7%, 2008 (IMF 2009, 62)
GDP per capita US$182, 2007 est (IMF 2009, 65)
Main exports Tobacco, sugar, tea, coffee, textiles and cotton (Frame 2008, 715)
Currency 100 Tambala = 1 Kwacha
Unemployment 45.4%, 2009 (Norwegian Council for Africa 2009)
Inflation rate 8.7%, 2008 (IMF 2009, 66)
External debt ratio 16% of GDP, 2008 (IMF 2009, 84)
Roads 16 450 km (SADC 2007)
Rail 1 262 km (Frame 2008, 710)
Airports 5, 2 international (Lilongwe, Blantyre) (EIU 2008)
Ethnic groups Main groups are the Chewa, Tumbuka, Yao and Ngoni (SADC 2007)
Languages Official English, national Nyanja (Chewa), Tumbuka. Others Yao, Nyakyusa-Ngonde, Sena, Kokola, Lomwe, Ndali, Lambya (Ethnologue.com undated)
Religion Christian ±80%, Muslim ±13%, African Traditional (US Department of State 2009)

References

ETHNOLOGUE.COM UNDATED "Languages of Malawi" [www] http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Malawi [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT (EIU) 2008 "Malawi risk: Infrastructure risk", http://www.eiu.com/ index.asp?layout=RKPrintVW3&article_id=843089069&printer=printer&rf=0 [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

FRAME, I 2008 (ed) Africa South of the Sahara 2008, Routledge.

IMF 2008 World Economic Outlook Database, April 2008, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/weodata/index.aspx [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

IMF 2009 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, October, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2009/AFR/eng/sreo1009.pdf, [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

KAPINDU, RE 2009 "Malawi: Legal System and Research Resources" IN GlobaLex, Hauser Global Law School Program, [www] http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Malawi.htm [opens new windom] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

NORWEGIAN COUNCIL FOR AFRICA 2009 "Malawi: Women challenge for top government posts", 5 March, [www] http://www.afrika.no/Detailed/18017.html [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET 2008 "MALAWI HIV and AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Report 2007" IN 2008 progress reports submitted by countries, UNAIDS, [www] http://data.unaids.org/pub/Report/2008/malawi_2008_country_progress_report_en.pdf [PDF document, opens in window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 2001 "Nation profile: Malawi", [www] http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/nationprofiles/Malawi/rbodies.html [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

SADC 2007 "Madagascar" IN Country Profiles, 136, 148, [www] http://www.sadcreview.com/pdfs07/madagascar2007_08.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

UNDP 2009 "Malawi HDI Rank - 160", IN Human Development Report 2009, [www] http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_MWI.html [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010a "Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 births)" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=MExico&d=PopDiv&f=variableID%3A77%3BcrID%3A484 [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010b "Military expenditure (% of GDP)" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=GDP&d=WDI&f=Indicator_Code%3AMS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

UN STATISTICS DIVISION 2010c "Total expenditure on health as percentage of gross domestic product" IN UNdata, [www] http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?q=Gross+domestic+product&d=WHO&f=inID%3AHSR20 [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE 2009 "Malawi" IN International Religious Freedom Report 2009, [www] http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127242.htm [opens new window] (accessed 18 Mar 2010).