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).
