Source
Central bank

Reserve Bank of Malawi

International Reserves

USD 0.8 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 6.9 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 23.7 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011* 2012* 2013*
9.6% 7.6% 8.3% 6.9% 4.9% 1.9% 5.2%
2014* 2015* 2016* 2017* 2018*    
5.7% 3% 2.3% 4% 3.2%    

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 351.1 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 1,199.4 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) - share of world total
1980 1990 2000 2010 2019*
0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.01% 0.02%

*Estimate

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 26.1% 
  • industry: 14.4% 
  • services: 52.4%

(2017 estimate)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

Inflation
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
21.9% 21.7% 11.5% 9.2% 8.8%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

*Estimate

Household saving rates

N/A

 

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
61.2% 61.3% 61.5% 62.9% 65.1%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2015 2016 2017 2018* 2019*
-6.3% -7.3% -7.3% -5.5% -4.9%

*Estimate

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's

Market value of publicly traded shares
2016 2017 2018
N/A N/A N/A
Largest companies

N/A

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD -1.1 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-15.3 % (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

29.2% (2017)

Shares in world total merchandising export

0.01% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export

0.003% (2018)

Total exports

USD 1.5 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities

Tobacco (55%), dried legumes (8.8%), sugar (6.7%), tea (5.7%), cotton (2%), peanuts, coffee, soy (2015 est.)

Total imports

USD 2.4 billion (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Food, petroleum products, semi-manufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

Exports - major partners

Zimbabwe 13.1%, Mozambique 11.8%, Belgium 10.7%, South Africa 6.3%, Netherlands 5%, UK 4.7%, Germany 4.3%, US 4.2% (2017)

Imports - major partners

South Africa 20.7%, China 14.2%, India 11.6%, UAE 7%, Netherlands 4.4% (2017)

FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 116 million USD 90 million USD 102 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 4.2 million USD 5.0 million USD 5.7 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2015 2016 2017 2018
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:

109 out of 190 countries

Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 153 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 128 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 171 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 90 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 11 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 79 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 135 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 127 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 149 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 134 out of 190 countries

Global competitiveness ranking

128 out of 141 countries

(2019)

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 153 / Score: 51.4 (Mostly unfree)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC+2

Total area

118,484 sq km

Capital

Lilongwe

Currency

Malawian kwachas (MWK)

Government type

Presidential republic

Languages

English (official), Chichewa (common), Chinyanja, Chiyao, Chitumbuka, Chilomwe, Chinkhonde, Chingoni, Chisena, Chitonga, Chinyakyusa, Chilambya

Religions

Protestant 33.5% (includes Church of Central Africa Presbyterian 14.2%, Seventh Day Adventist/Baptist 9.4%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Anglican 2.3%), Roman Catholic 17.2%, other Christian 26.6%, Muslim 13.8%, traditionalist 1.1%, other 5.6%, none 2.1% (2018 est.)

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015 2020*
10.04 million 12.07 million 15.71 million 18.11 million 20.87 million

*Estimate

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
4.4% 9.1% 14.6% 16.9%
Population median age

16.6 years

Population growth rate

3.31% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

62.2 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

Total population: 62.1% 
Male: 69.8% 
Female: 55.2%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

89.4% (last available estimate, 2016)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

44.7 (last available estimate, 2016)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Partly Free
Political Rights: 3
Civil Liberties: 3 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 0.1% Mobile: 39% (2018) 
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

13.78 % (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

Blantyre: 193rd (2019)

CO2 emissions

0.08 metric tons per capita (2014)

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