Malawi: Fact file

Updated October 2009

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)
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)
Health expenditure 18% of government expenditure; 2006 (UNDP 2009)
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 est (IMF 2009)
GDP per capita US$264.31, 2007 est (IMF 2008)
Main exports Tobacco, sugar, tea, coffee, textiles and cotton (Frame 2008, 715)
Currency 100 Tambala = 1 Kwacha
Unemployment +53%, 2004 (Disability Front Line 2004)
Inflation rate 8.7%, 2008 est (IMF 2009)
External debt ratio 16.5% of GDP, 2008 (IMF 2009)
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 76.8% (Roman Catholic 24.7%, Protestant 22.9%, Independent 16.8%) Muslims 14.8%, African Traditional 7.8% (Religious Freedom 2001)

References

DISABILITY FRONT LINE 2004 "Representative surveys on the 'Living Conditions Among Disabled People' in three countries in Southern Africa: Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe", Disability Front Line, October 29, [www] http://www.dcdd.nl/default.asp?action=article&id=2593 [opens new window] (accessed 23 Apr 2008).

ETHNOLOGUE.COM UNDATED "Languages of Malawi" [www] http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Malawi [opens new window] (accessed 23 Apr 2008).

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 23 Apr 2008).

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 21 Apr 2008).

IMF 2009 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa, 66, 70, 88, [www] http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/reo/2009/afr/eng/sreo0409.pdf, [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 18 May 2009).

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 May 2009).

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 May 2009).

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 2001 "Nation profile: Malawi", [www] http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/nationprofiles/Malawi/rbodies.html [opens new window] (accessed 23 Apr 2008).

SADC 2007 "Madagascar" IN Country Profiles, 136, 148, [www] http://www.sadcreview.com/pdfs07/madagascar2007_08.pdf [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 23 Apr 2008).

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 15 October 2009).