Malawi

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images

Physical features of Malawi

Mulanje Mountains

Malawi: Ethnic composition

Malawi: Religious affiliation

For Students

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Malawi: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Malawi Sees a Pickup in Inflation as Consumer Prices Rise 28.5% • Feb. 16, 2025, 2:27 AM ET (Bloomberg)

Malawi Temporarily Bans All Mineral Exports to Revamp Rules • Feb. 14, 2025, 1:27 AM ET (Bloomberg)

Malawi university students feel impact of US aid freeze • Feb. 12, 2025, 10:49 AM ET (Voice of America English News)

‘Devastating’: Malawi left in dire straits by Trump’s decision to freeze aid • Feb. 8, 2025, 11:23 PM ET (The Guardian)

Perezida wa Malawi Lazarus Chakwera yategetse ko ingabo ziwe ziva muri RD Congo • Feb. 6, 2025, 6:46 AM ET (BBC)

Facts

Also Known As	Nyasaland • Republic of Malawi
Head Of State And Government	President: Lazarus Chakwera
Capital	Lilongwe³
Population	(2025 est.) 20,734,000
Form Of Government	multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [193])
Official Language	See footnote 1.
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Republic of Malawi^{1, 2}
Total Area (Sq Km)	118,760
Total Area (Sq Mi)	45,853
Monetary Unit	Malawian kwacha (MK)
Population Rank	(2025) 64
Population Projection 2030	29,275,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2025) 452.2
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2025) 174.6
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2018) 15.8% • Rural: (2018) 84.2%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2021) 59.7 years • Female: (2021) 65.3 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2021) 71% • Female: (2021) 64%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 13,395
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 640
¹No official language is stated in the constitution. English is the official language of instruction.²Dziko la Malaŵi in Chewa, the principal national language.³Judiciary meets in Blantyre.

Photos

Physical features of Malawi

Mulanje Mountains

Malawi: fish drying on platforms

Malawi: Shire River

National anthem of Malawi

See All Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

Cecil Rhodes Joyce Banda Hastings Kamuzu Banda John Chilembwe Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston Sir Alfred Sharpe Godfrey Wilson Africa Southern Africa member states of the Commonwealth United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

Cecil Rhodes

Cecil Rhodes

prime minister of Cape Colony

Joyce Banda

Joyce Banda

president of Malawi

First president of Malawi

Hastings Kamuzu Banda

president of Malawi

John Chilembwe

Nyasaland leader

Harry Hamilton Johnston

Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston

British explorer

Sir Alfred Sharpe

British colonial administrator

Godfrey Wilson

British anthropologist

Zomba

Malawi

Mangochi

Malawi

A map of the continent of Africa, including its countries, boundaries, and capital cities. It also shows parts of Europe and Asia and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean.

Africa

continent

Namib desert

Southern Africa

region, Africa

Blantyre

Malawi

Lilongwe

Lilongwe

national capital, Malawi

Karonga

Malawi

Salima

town, Malawi

Nkhotakota

Malawi

Dedza

Malawi

Nkhata Bay

town, Malawi

Nsanje

Malawi

Mchinji

town, Malawi

Kasungu

Malawi

Mzimba

Malawi

Quiz

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