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General Information

Region		Eastern Africa
Population (000, 2021)		19 648^a
Pop. density (per km2, 2021)		208.4^a
Capital city		Lilongwe
Capital city pop. (000, 2021)		1 074.7^b
UN membership date		01-Dec-64
Surface area (km2)		117 726^b
Sex ratio (m per 100 f)		97.3^a
National currency		Malawi Kwacha (MWK)
Exchange rate (per US$)		773.1^c

Economic indicators

	2010	2015	2021
GDP: Gross domestic product (million current US$)	6 960	6 431	8 099^b
GDP growth rate (annual %, const. 2015 prices)	6.9	3.3	5.2^b
GDP per capita (current US$)	478.7	384.1	434.8^b
Economy: Agriculture^d (% of Gross Value Added)	31.9	32.4	30.8^b
Economy: Industry^e,f (% of Gross Value Added)	16.4	16.4	16^b
Economy: Services and other activity^g (% of GVA)	51.7	51.2	53.2^b
Employment in agriculture^h (% of employed)	48.1	45.6	43.2^c
Employment in industry^h (% of employed)	14.2	14	13.8^c
Employment in services^h (% employed)	37.7	40.4	43^c
Unemployment^h (% of labour force)	5.9	5.8	5.7^c
Labour force participation rate^h (female/male pop. %)	73.3 / 82.1	72.6 / 82.2	72.6 / 81.3^c
CPI: Consumer Price Index^h (2010=100)	100	251	454^c
Agricultural production index (2014-2016=100)	79	99	129^b
International trade: exports (million current US$)	1 066	1 080	632^h,c
International trade: imports (million current US$)	2 173	2 312	2 406^h,c
International trade: balance (million current US$)	- 1 107	- 1 232	- 1 775^h,c
Balance of payments, current account (million US$)	-969	- 1 064	- 1 837^b

Social indicators

	2010	2015	2021
Population growth rateⁱ (average annual %)	2.8	2.8	2.7^c
Urban population (% of total population)	15.5	16.3	17.2^b
Urban population growth rateⁱ (average annual %)	3.7	3.9	...
Fertility rate, totalⁱ (live births per woman)	5.7	4.9	4.2^c
Life expectancy at birthⁱ (females/males, years)	54.0 / 48.7	62.5 / 56.6	66.6 / 60.3^c
Population age distribution (0-14/60+ years old, %)	46.4 / 4.2	45.1 / 4.0	42.5 / 4.1^a
International migrant stock^j (000/% of total pop.)	217.7 / 1.5	197.3 / 1.2	191.4 / 1.0^c
Refugees and others of concern to UNHCR (000)	15.2^k	22.6	47.7^c
Infant mortality rateⁱ (per 1 000 live births)	68.4	52.6	41.3^c
Health: Current expenditure (% of GDP)	7.2	9.3	9.3^l
Health: Physicians (per 1 000 pop.)	~0.0^m	~0.0ⁿ	~0.0^l
Education: Government expenditure (% of GDP)	3.5	5.6	4.7^h,l
Education: Primary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	140.2 / 137.3	147.9 / 144.9	147.0 / 142.7^b
Education: Secondary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	31.9 / 36.1	38.9 / 42.6^h	33.6 / 40.5^b
Education: Upper secondary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.)	13.5 / 18.8	20.6 / 24.7	19.3 / 21.5^b
Intentional homicide rate (per 100 000 pop.)	3.6	1.8^o	...
Seats held by women in national parliaments (%)	20.8	16.7	22.9^p

Environment and infrastructure indicators

	2010	2015	2021
Individuals using the Internet (per 100 inhabitants)	2.3	5.3^h	13.8^h,q
Threatened species (number)	158	171	137
Forested area (% of land area)	28.2	26^h	24.7^h,l
Energy production, primary (Petajoules)	64	68^h	70^h,l
Energy supply per capita (Gigajoules)	5	5	5^l
Tourist/visitor arrivals at national borders^r (000)	746	805	871^h,l
Important sites for terrestrial biodiversity protected (%)	70.8	70.8	70.8^c
Pop. using safely managed sanitation (urban/rural %)	26.7 / 20.8	26.8 / 22.2	27.0 / 23.6^c
Net Official Development Assist. received (% of GNI)	14.84	17.05	15.6^b

Footnotes

a		Projected estimate (medium fertility variant).
b		2019
c		2020
d		Excludes irrigation canals and landscaping care.
e		Includes irrigation canals.
f		Excludes publishing activities.
g		Excludes repair of personal and household goods.
h		Estimate.
i		Data refers to a 5-year period preceding the reference year.
j		Including refugees.
k		Data as at the end of December.
l		2018
m		2009
n		2013
o		2012
p		Data are as at 1 January of reporting year.
q		2017
r		Departures.