Poorest Countries in the World
All these extremely fragile and underdeveloped economies have either recently been through a civil war or are suffering from ongoing sectarian or ethnic conflicts.
Malawi GDP and Economic Data
Country Report 2017 - Includes Malawi real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Malawi economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Malawi best banks and safest banks are also available.
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International Reserves
USD 0.6 billion (2014)
International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved January 2017
Gross Domestic Product - GDP
USD 6.4 billion (2017, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
Intl$ 22.7 billion (2017, estimate)
Real GDP growth
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012* |
| 4.7% | 9.6% | 7.6% | 8.3% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 1.9% |
| 2013* | 2014* | 2015* | 2016* | 2017* | ||
| 5.2% | 5.7% | 3% | 2.7% | 4.5% |
*Estimate
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
| 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2017* |
| 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.02% |
*Estimate
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GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture: 32%
- industry: 17.5%
- services: 50.5%
(2016 estimate)
Inflation
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016* | 2017* |
| 28.3% | 23.8% | 21.9% | 19.8% | 13.9% |
*Estimate
Unemployment rate
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
*Estimate
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016* | 2017* |
| 100.3% | 94.6% | 82% | 72.1% | 65.5% |
*Estimate
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016* | 2017* |
| -6.4% | -4.8% | -5.2% | -6.4% | -3.9% |
*Estimate
Government bond ratings
Standard & Poor's: N/A
Moody's: N/A
Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated January 2017)
Source
Market value of publicly traded shares
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source
Current account balance by percentage of GDP
-9.3% (2017 estimate)
Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)
29.2% (2015)
Shares in world total merchandising export
0.008% (2015)
Shares in world total commercial services export
0.002% (2015)
Export commodities
Tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel (2010 estimate)
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Import commodities
Food, petroleum products, semi-manufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment
Exports - major partners
Belgium 15.8%, Zimbabwe 12%, India 6.9%, South Africa 6.2%, US 6%, Russia 5.6%, Germany 4.6% (2015)
Imports - major partners
South Africa 26.4%, China 16.7%, India 12%, Zambia 10.3%, Tanzania 6% (2015)
FDI inflows
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| USD 120 million | USD 130 million | USD 143 million |
FDI outflows
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| USD -46 million | USD -50 million | USD -15 million |
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014
N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015
N/A
Best countries for doing business
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.
Overall ranking: 133 out of 190 countries (2017)
Subcategories:
Starting a business: 150 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 148 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 95 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 101 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 132 out of 190 countries
Trading Across Borders: 118 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 102 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 65 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 169 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 162 out of 190 countries
Source
Global competitiveness ranking
134 out of 138 countries
(2016-2017)
Index of Economic Freedom
Ranking: 146 / Score: 51.8 (Mostly unfree) (2016)
(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)
Source
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Languages
English (official), Chichewa (common), Chinyanja, Chiyao, Chitumbuka, Chilomwe, Chinkhonde, Chingoni, Chisena, Chitonga, Chinyakyusa, Chilambya
Religions
Christian 82.6%, Muslim 13%, other 1.9%, none 2.5% (2008 est.)
Total population
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2016* | 2021* |
| 10.039 million | 12.07 million | 15.714 million | 18.632 million | 21.474 million |
*Estimate
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Urban population as % of total population
| 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2015 |
| 4% | 9% | 15% | 16% |
Literacy
Total population: 65.8%
Male: 73%
Female: 58.6% (2015 est.)
(age 15 and over can read and write)
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day
51.8% (2010)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)
46.1 (2010)
(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
Source
Freedom House rating
Political Rights: 3
Civil Liberties: 3 (2017)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population
Fixed 0.08% Mobile 37.94% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)