Population in 2023
c 21,300,000
Life expectancy
73 years on average (compared with 80 in Scotland). The infant mortality rate in Malawi is 33 per thousand live births, compared with 3.7 in Scotland.
Health
Malawi has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the world. About 11% of the population of Malawi is HIV positive. Over 1 million people and over 50% of all hospital admissions are HIV-related. There are at least 650,000 AIDS orphans, many of whom are themselves HIV positive. There are approximately 50 doctors per thousand population.
Education
Malawi is committed to free primary education for all. Implementing this policy has proved very difficult because of a shortage of resources.
Economy
Malawi has among the lowest per capita income in Africa. Poverty is chronic and widespread. 53% of the population lives in poverty. Unemployment is estimated to be around 93%. It's primarily agrarian, producing:
- sweet potatoes
- cassava
- sugar cane
- maize
- mangoes
- guavas
- potatoes
- tomatoes
- pigeon peas
- bananas
- plantains
Urban poverty has increased owing to COVID-19. It has high public debt and corruption is endemic.
Malawi has an inefficient hydroelectric grid. It's estimated that 17 million people are without electricity. Industries centre around tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, and consumer goods. Malawi’s natural resources are:
- limestone
- arable land
- hydropower
- unexploited deposits of uranium
- coal
- bauxite
Politics
Malawi is a presidential representative democratic republic, gaining independence on 6th July 1964, under Hastings Banda who served until 1994. The president, both head of state and head of government, is elected by the people through multi-party elections every five years.
An individual can serve as President for a maximum of two terms if re-elected. The vice president is elected through the same voting process. The current head of government since 2020 is President Lazarus Chakwera and Vice President Saulos Chilima.
There are 28 administrative 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
Source of statistics: CIA World Factbook.