The Hard Part Starts Now For Malawi's New President
Allegations of corruption and nepotism dog Malawi's new president.
Malawi GDP and Economic Data
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 0.8 billion (2018)
International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
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
Source
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
| 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2019* |
| 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.02% |
*Estimate
Source
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GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture: 26.1%
- industry: 14.4%
- services: 52.4%
(2017 estimate)
Inflation
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 21.9% | 21.7% | 11.5% | 9.2% | 8.8% |
*Estimate
Source
Unemployment rate
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
*Estimate
Source
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
Source
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
Source
Government bond ratings
Standard & Poor's: N/A
Moody's: N/A
Standard & Poor's / Moody's
Source
Market value of publicly traded shares
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source
Current account balance by percentage of GDP
-15.3 % (2018 estimate)
Source
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)
Export commodities
Tobacco (55%), dried legumes (8.8%), sugar (6.7%), tea (5.7%), cotton (2%), peanuts, coffee, soy (2015 est.)
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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
Source
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
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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
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Urban population as % of total population
| 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2018 |
| 4.4% | 9.1% | 14.6% | 16.9% |
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)
Source
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)