Malawi

Malawi shares its name with the Chewa word for flames and is linked to the Maravi people from whom the Chewa language originated. The Maravi settled in what is now Malawi around 1400, during one of the later waves of Bantu migration across central and southern Africa. A powerful Maravi kingdom established around 1500 reached its zenith around 1700, when it controlled what is now southern and central Malawi and portions of neighboring Mozambique and Zambia. The kingdom eventually declined because of destabilization from the escalating global trade in enslaved people. In the early 1800s, widespread conflict in southern Africa displaced various ethnic Ngoni groups, some of which moved into Malawi and further undermined the Maravi. Members of the Yao ethnic group -- which had long traded with Malawi from Mozambique -- introduced Islam and began to settle in Malawi in significant numbers in the mid-1800s, followed by members of the Lomwe ethnic group. British missionary and trading activity increased in the area around Lake Nyasa in the mid-1800s, and in 1891, Britain declared a protectorate called British Central Africa over what is now Malawi. The British renamed the territory Nyasaland in 1907, and it was part of the colonial Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland -- including present-day Zambia and Zimbabwe -- from 1953 to 1963 before gaining independence as Malawi in 1964. Hastings Kamuzu BANDA served as prime minister at independence and then as president when the country became a republic in 1966. He later instituted one-party rule under his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and was declared president for life. After three decades of one-party rule, the country held multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections in 1994 under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. Bakili MULUZI of the United Democratic Front party became the first freely elected president of Malawi when he defeated BANDA at the polls in 1994; he won reelection in 1999. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA was elected in 2004 and reelected to a second term in 2009. He died abruptly in 2012 and was succeeded by Vice President Joyce BANDA. MUTHARIKA's brother, Peter MUTHARIKA, defeated BANDA in the election in 2014. Peter MUTHARIKA was reelected in a disputed election in 2019 that resulted in countrywide protests. The courts ordered a new election, and in 2020, Lazarus CHAKWERA of the MCP was elected president. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.

land

94,080 sq km

total

118,484 sq km

water

24,404 sq km

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)

0 km (landlocked)

highest point

Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m

lowest point

junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m

mean elevation

779 m

13 30 S, 34 00 E

landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature; it contains more fish species than any other lake on earth

740 sq km (2012)

border countries

Mozambique 1,498 km; Tanzania 512 km; Zambia 847 km

total

2,857 km

agricultural land

59.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 38.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 19.6% (2018 est.)

forest

34% (2018 est.)

other

6.8% (2018 est.)

Southern Africa, east of Zambia, west and north of Mozambique

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Malawi (shared with Mozambique and Tanzania) - 22,490

salt water lake(s)

Lake Chilwa - 1,040 sq km

Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s], Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)

Africa

none (landlocked)

flooding; droughts; earthquakes

limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite

population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa as shown in this population distribution map

narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains

0-14 years

37.7% (male 4,080,567/female 4,132,710)

15-64 years

58.4% (male 6,217,761/female 6,487,273)

65 years and over

3.9% (2024 est.) (male 376,266/female 468,732)

beer

0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

1.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

2.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

26.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

men married by age 18

7% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15

7.5%

women married by age 18

37.7%

11.7% (2020)

65.6% (2019/20)

5.4% of GDP (2020)

60.7% (2022 est.)

4.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Malawi has made great improvements in maternal and child health, but has made less progress in reducing its high fertility rate. In both rural and urban areas, very high proportions of mothers are receiving prenatal care and skilled birth assistance, and most children are being vaccinated. Malawi’s fertility rate, however, has only declined slowly, decreasing from more than 7 children per woman in the 1980s to about 5.5 today. Nonetheless, Malawians prefer smaller families than in the past, and women are increasingly using contraceptives to prevent or space pregnancies. Rapid population growth and high population density is putting pressure on Malawi’s land, water, and forest resources. Reduced plot sizes and increasing vulnerability to climate change, further threaten the sustainability of Malawi’s agriculturally based economy and will worsen food shortages. About 80% of the population is employed in agriculture.Historically, Malawians migrated abroad in search of work, primarily to South Africa and present-day Zimbabwe, but international migration became uncommon after the 1970s, and most migration in recent years has been internal. During the colonial period, Malawians regularly migrated to southern Africa as contract farm laborers, miners, and domestic servants. In the decade and a half after independence in 1964, the Malawian Government sought to transform its economy from one dependent on small-scale farms to one based on estate agriculture. The resulting demand for wage labor induced more than 300,000 Malawians to return home between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s. In recent times, internal migration has generally been local, motivated more by marriage than economic reasons.

elderly dependency ratio

5

potential support ratio

20.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

84.7

youth dependency ratio

79.7

improved: rural

rural: 91% of population

improved: total

total: 92% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.3% of population

2.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Chewa 34.3%, Lomwe 18.8%, Yao 13.2%, Ngoni 10.4%, Tumbuka 9.2%, Sena 3.8%, Mang'anja 3.2%, Tonga 1.8%, Nyanja 1.8%, Nkhonde 1%, other 2.2%, foreign 0.3% (2018 est.)

1.58 (2024 est.)

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)

female

27.4 deaths/1,000 live births

male

36.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

31.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

English (official), Chewa (dominant), Lambya, Lomwe, Ngoni, Nkhonde, Nyakyusa, Nyanja, Sena, Tonga, Tumbuka, Yao

note

note: Chewa and Nyanja are mutually intelligible dialects; Nkhonde and Nyakyusa are mutually intelligible dialects

female

76.1 years

male

69.9 years

total population

73 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

63.7% (2021)

male

71.2%

total population

67.3%

1.276 million LILONGWE (capital), 1.031 million Blantyre-Limbe (2023)

381 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

20.6 years

male

20 years

total

20.3 years (2024 est.)

19.1 years (2015/16 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

adjective

Malawian

noun

Malawian(s)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

5.8% (2016)

0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

female

11,088,715 (2024 est.)

male

10,674,594

total

21,763,309

population density is highest south of Lake Nyasa as shown in this population distribution map

2.22% (2024 est.)

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.)

improved: rural

rural: 35.9% of population

improved: total

total: 40% of population

improved: urban

urban: 59.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 64.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 60% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 40.1% of population

female

11 years (2011)

male

11 years

total

11 years

0-14 years

0.99 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.8 male(s)/female

at birth

1.01 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

4.1% (2020 est.)

male

17.5% (2020 est.)

total

10.8% (2020 est.)

3.19 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

4.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

18.3% of total population (2023)

28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga, Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Neno, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba

etymology

named after the Lilongwe River that flows through the city

geographic coordinates

13 58 S, 33 47 E

name

Lilongwe

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Malawi

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

amendments

proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles, including the sovereignty and territory of the state, fundamental constitutional principles, human rights, voting rights, and the judiciary, requires majority approval in a referendum and majority approval by the Assembly; passage of other amendments requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; amended several times, last in 2017

history

previous 1953 (pre-independence), 1964, 1966; latest drafted January to May 1994, approved 16 May 1994, entered into force 18 May 1995

conventional long form

Republic of Malawi

conventional short form

Malawi

etymology

named for the East African Maravi Kingdom of the 16th century; the word "maravi" means "fire flames"

former

British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland

local long form

Dziko la Malawi

local short form

Malawi

chief of mission

Ambassador David YOUNG (since 5 May 2022)

email address and website

LilongweConsular@state.govhttps://mw.usembassy.gov/

embassy

16 Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lilongwe 3

FAX

[265] (0) 177-0471

mailing address

2280 Lilongwe Place, Washington DC  20521-2280

telephone

[265] (0) 177-3166

chancery

2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Esme Jynet CHOMBO (since 19 April 2022)

email address and website

malawidc@aol.comHome | Malawi Embassy USA

telephone

[1] (202) 451- 0409

cabinet

Cabinet named by the president

chief of state

President Lazarus CHAKWERA (since 28 June 2020)

election results

2020: Lazarus CHAKWERA elected president; Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 59.3%, Peter Mutharika (DPP) 39.9%, other 0.8% 2014: Peter MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Peter MUTHARIKA (DPP) 36.4%, Lazarus CHAKWERA (MCP) 27.8%, Joyce BANDA (PP) 20.2%, Atupele MULUZI (UDF) 13.7%, other 1.9% 

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 June 2020 (next to be held in June 2025) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government

President Lazarus CHAKWERA (since 28 June 2020)

three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered on the black band; black represents the native peoples, red the blood shed in their struggle for freedom, and green the color of nature; the rising sun represents the hope of freedom for the continent of Africa

presidential republic

6 July 1964 (from the UK)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and at least 3 judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; other judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission, which regulates judicial officers; judges serve until age 65

subordinate courts

High Court; magistrate courts; Industrial Relations Court; district and city traditional or local courts

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal

description

unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - DPP 26%, MCP 22.3%, UTM 9.9%, UDF 4.6%, PP 2.4%, ADF 0.5%, independent 33.4%; seats by party - DPP 62, MCP 56, UDF 10, UTM 4, PP 5, ADF 1, independent 55; composition - men 153, women 40, percentage women 20.7%

elections

last held on 21 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2025)

lyrics/music

Michael-Fredrick Paul SAUKA

name

"Mulungu dalitsa Malawi" (Oh God Bless Our Land of Malawi)

note

note: adopted 1964

selected World Heritage Site locales

Lake Malawi National Park (n); Chongoni Rock-Art Area (c)

total World Heritage Sites

2 (1 cultural, 1 natural)

Independence Day, 6 July (1964); note - also called Republic Day since 6 July 1966

lion; national colors: black, red, green

Democratic Progressive Party or DPP Malawi Congress Party or MCP People's Party or PP United Democratic Front or UDFUnited Transformation Movement or UTM 

18 years of age; universal

sweet potatoes, cassava, maize, sugarcane, mangoes/guavas, potatoes, tomatoes, pigeon peas, bananas, pumpkins/squash (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

expenditures

$1.941 billion (2020 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$1.688 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$1.639 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$1.918 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$2.276 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external 2022

$1.971 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

low-income East African economy; primarily agrarian; investing in human capital; urban poverty increasing due to COVID-19; high public debt; endemic corruption and poor property rights; poor hydroelectric grid; localized pharmaceutical industry

Currency

Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2016

718.005 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

730.273 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

732.333 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

745.541 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

749.527 (2020 est.)

Exports 2020

$1.308 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$1.587 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$1.487 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

tobacco, gold, tea, ground nuts, dried legumes (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

UAE 21%, Belgium 12%, Tanzania 6%, Kenya 5%, South Africa 5% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

27.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption

16.3% (2017 est.)

household consumption

84.3% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-43.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

15.3% (2017 est.)

agriculture

22.1% (2023 est.)

industry

18.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

52.2% (2023 est.)

$14.084 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

38.5 (2019 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

highest 10%

31% (2019 est.)

lowest 10%

2.9% (2019 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2020

$3.373 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$3.768 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$3.706 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, fertilizers, crude petroleum, packaged medicine, plastic products (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

South Africa 20%, China 15%, UAE 11%, India 6%, Kuwait 5% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

1.58% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

9.33% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

20.95% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

28.79% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

8.366 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

50.7% (2019 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

52.63% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$34.386 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$34.703 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$35.238 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

2.75% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

0.92% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

1.54% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$1,700 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$1,700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$1,700 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

2.53% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

2.01% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

1.85% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018

$766.155 million (2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019

$846.84 million (2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020

$594.498 million (2020 est.)

12.78% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

5.59% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

5.05% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.04% (2023 est.)

female

7.2% (2023 est.)

male

6.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

6.8% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

112,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

1.505 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

1.617 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

50,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

(2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton

imports

2.5 metric tons (2022 est.)

production

50,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

801.999 million metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

1.101 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

20 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

758,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

231.84 million kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - rural areas

5.6%

electrification - total population

14% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

54%

biomass and waste

4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

5.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

77.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

12.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

1.331 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

11,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.1 (2020 est.)

total

12,255 (2020 est.)

radio is the main broadcast medium; privately owned Zodiak radio has the widest national broadcasting reach, followed by state-run radio; numerous private and community radio stations broadcast in cities and towns around the country; the largest TV network is government-owned, but at least 4 private TV networks broadcast in urban areas; relays of multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)

.mw

percent of population

24% (2021 est.)

total

4.8 million (2021 est.)

domestic

limited fixed-line subscribership less than 1 per 100 households; mobile-cellular subscribership roughly 60 per 100 households (2021)

general assessment

with few resources, Malawi is one of the world’s least developed countries; there has been little investment in fixed-line telecom infrastructure, and as a result, the country’s two mobile networks Airtel Malawi and TMN provide the vast majority of connections for voice and data services; both operators have invested in LTE technologies to improve the quality of data services; the lack of market competition, together with limited international internet bandwidth, has also resulted in some of the highest prices for telecom services in the region; the government in late 2020 secured an average 80% reduction in the cost of data bundles offered by the MNOs; following continuing customer complaints, the regulator in mid-2021 ensured that costs were again reduced, this time by about a third; mobile penetration remains low in comparison to the regional average and so there are considerable opportunities for further growth, particularly in the mobile broadband sector, though there is the possibility that a new play come launch services by the end of 2022; the internet sector is reasonably competitive, with about 50 licensed ISPs, though the limited availability and high cost of international bandwidth has held back growth and kept broadband access prices among the highest in the region; these limitations are being addressed, with the second phase of the national fiber backbone having started in mid-2021 (2022)

international

country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

9,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

60 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

12.269 million (2022 est.)

28 (2024)

7Q

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

10,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

10,545 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

9

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020)

narrow gauge

767 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

total

767 km (2014)

paved

4,038 km

total

15,451 km

unpaved

11,413 km (2022)

700 km (2010) (on Lake Nyasa [Lake Malawi] and Shire River)

the MDF’s primary responsibility is external security; it is also tasked as necessary with providing support to civilian authorities during emergencies, supporting the Police Service, protecting national forest reserves, and participating in regional peacekeeping missions, as well as assisting with infrastructure development; it is generally considered to be a professional and effective service, although most of its equipment is aging and obsolescent; Malawi contributes regularly to African Union and UN peace support operationsthe MDF was established in 1964 from elements of the Kings African Rifles (KAR), a British colonial regiment raised from Great Britain's various possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s; the KAR conducted both military and internal security functions within the colonial territories, and served outside the territories during the World Wars (2023)

Malawi Defense Force (MDF): Land Forces (Army), Maritime Force, Air Force, National Service (reserve force)Ministry of Homeland Security: Malawi Police Service (2024)

note

note: the MDF reports directly to the president as commander in chief

estimated 10,000 active military personnel (2023)

740 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO; note - as of early 2024, MONUSCO forces were drawing down towards a complete withdrawal by the end of 2024) (2024)

the MDF's inventory is a mix of mostly older or secondhand equipment originating from such countries as France, South Africa, and the UK  (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

18-30years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; high school equivalent required for enlisted recruits and college equivalent for officer recruits; initial engagement is 7 years for enlisted personnel and 10 years for officers (2023)

NA

refugees (country of origin)

11,502 (Burundi) (refugees and asylum seekers), 6,594 (Rwanda) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023); 34,605 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers)

carbon dioxide emissions

1.3 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

11.12 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

18.57 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)

deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations; negative effects of climate change (extreme high temperatures, changing precipitation patterns)

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

widespread lack of access

due to weather extremes and high food prices - the latest analysis indicates that about 3.8 million people (20 percent of the population) are estimated to have faced high levels of acute food insecurity between January and March 2023; this figure is more than double the number in the corresponding months of 2022; high food prices are the key reason for the deterioration in food insecurity, which, in the absence of a substantial increase in incomes, are severely constraining households’ economic access to food; production shortfalls in southern districts in 2022, areas that have the highest prevalence of food insecurity, are a further contributing factor; the impact of Cyclone Freddy (February-March 2023) on southern districts, including crop losses and destruction of infrastructure as well as high food prices, are expected to aggravate food insecurity conditions in 2023 (2023)

agricultural land

59.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 38.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 1.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 19.6% (2018 est.)

forest

34% (2018 est.)

other

6.8% (2018 est.)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Malawi (shared with Mozambique and Tanzania) - 22,490

salt water lake(s)

Lake Chilwa - 1,040 sq km

Zambezi (shared with Zambia [s], Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

6.19% of GDP (2018 est.)

17.28 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

1.17 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

4.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

18.3% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

1,297,844 tons (2013 est.)