# Malawi
**Malawi** is a landlocked country in [Southern Africa](https://www.edgepedia.org/southern-africa), bordered by [Mozambique](https://www.edgepedia.org/mozambique), Zambia, and Tanzania, whose economy depends heavily on rain-fed agriculture and which ranks among the poorest countries in the world.[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) Its estimated population was 21.1 million in 2023, growing at 2.6% a year, according to the World Bank; the IMF lists a country population of 24.75 million.[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) • [2](https://www.imf.org/en/countries/mwi) Since independence from British colonial rule in July 1964, Malawi has moved from the one-party rule of Hastings Kamuzu Banda to competitive multiparty politics, including a court-ordered election rerun in 2020 and a peaceful transfer of power after the September 2025 election.[3](https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.37730327) • [4](https://apnews.com/article/a938339e405cc33891f7c697865e51cb) • [5](https://apnews.com/article/07706188fde0f0314348e74919ee3e10)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Landlocked Southern Africa; borders Mozambique, Zambia, and Tanzania[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) |
| Population | 21.1 million (2023 estimate, World Bank), growing 2.6% per year; IMF lists 24.75 million[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) • [2](https://www.imf.org/en/countries/mwi) |
| Economy | Agriculture employs over 80% of the population; GDP per capita was US$642.2 in 2022[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) • [6](https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/6ca408f5ab29c4943962834d8d43ef63-0010012024/original/Malawi-CERP-Project-Paper-October-2024-Public.pdf) |
| Poverty | 76.6% of the population in 2026, projected to decline marginally to 75.9% by 2028[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) |
| Inflation | 28.4% in 2025, expected to ease to 23% in 2026; the IMF projects 24.4% for 2026[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) • [2](https://www.imf.org/en/countries/mwi) |
| Public debt | 88% of GDP by the end of 2024[7](https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2025/07/22/pr25261-malawi-imf-executive-board-concludes-2025-article-iv-consultation) |
| National plan | Malawi 2063 Vision, launched January 2021, targets wealthy, self-reliant, industrialized upper-middle-income status, with lower-middle-income status by 2030[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) • [8](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/publication/malawi-country-partnership-framework-a-focused-and-flexible-engagement-strategy) |
| Leadership | Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party won the September 2025 election with 56% of the vote according to the Malawi Electoral Commission (the World Bank reports 56.8%) against incumbent Lazarus Chakwera's 33%[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) • [5](https://apnews.com/article/07706188fde0f0314348e74919ee3e10) |
## Geography and environment
Malawi sits in the [Great Rift Valley](https://www.edgepedia.org/great-rift-valley), which contains [Lake Malawi](https://www.edgepedia.org/lake-malawi), stretching from north to south of the country.[9](https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/2018-10/wb_gfdrr_climate_change_country_profile_for_MWI.pdf) The lake has a surface area of 28,760 km², is fed by over 200 rivers from Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique, and drains through a single outlet, the Shire River, flowing south.[10](https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/508561550587004266/pdf/AUS0000489-WP-P162772-PUBLIC-18-2-2019-13-4-24-MalawiCEAReportWeb.pdf)
Climate shocks are a recurring economic force. Malawi loses an average of 1.7% of its GDP annually to climate change-related disasters, mainly floods and drought, with significant impacts on agriculture and infrastructure.[6](https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/6ca408f5ab29c4943962834d8d43ef63-0010012024/original/Malawi-CERP-Project-Paper-October-2024-Public.pdf) [Agriculture](https://www.edgepedia.org/agriculture), the mainstay of the economy, is more exposed to climate shocks than other sectors, and housing and living conditions suffer in the aftermath of floods and droughts.[11](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/publication/country-economic-memorandum-a-narrow-path-to-prosperity)
## Political history
Malawi attained independence from British colonial rule in July 1964, with Hastings Kamuzu Banda as its first leader; he became president in 1966.[3](https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.37730327) • [12](https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/freehou/2008/63003) Banda's Malawi Congress Party presided over one of Africa's last remaining one-party regimes. Malawi's first-ever multiparty elections, held on 17 May 1994, followed a June 1993 referendum that scrapped the 27-year ban on multiparty competition, and brought [Bakili Muluzi](https://www.edgepedia.org/bakili-muluzi), a Muslim businessman from the southern region, to the presidency.[13](https://web.mit.edu/posner/www/papers/6.1posner.html) Since then, multi-party presidential and parliamentary elections have been held every five years.[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi)
The 2019 presidential election, won by Peter Mutharika, was nullified by a court because of widespread irregularities, and a rerun was ordered for 2020. This marked just the second occasion on the continent where a court required a presidential vote to be held again, and the first instance in which the incumbent was unseated: Lazarus Chakwera won the new election that took place over a year afterward.[4](https://apnews.com/article/a938339e405cc33891f7c697865e51cb)
**The 2025 election.** Malawi's seventh tripartite elections were held on 16 September 2025, choosing a president, lawmakers, and local government representatives. The economy was the main issue for voters facing fuel shortages and a cost-of-living crisis.[4](https://apnews.com/article/a938339e405cc33891f7c697865e51cb) • [14](https://apnews.com/article/397aa544946efd6e1dfc0258d406bfdf) Mutharika, who had been president from 2014 to 2020, won 56% of the vote according to the Malawi Electoral Commission (the World Bank reports 56.8%), with Chakwera second at 33%; the winning candidate needed more than 50% to avoid a runoff. Chakwera conceded defeat on national television hours before the final results were announced, and Mutharika was sworn in on 4 October 2025 at the age of 85.[5](https://apnews.com/article/07706188fde0f0314348e74919ee3e10) • [15](https://apnews.com/article/23ca3ea49c9fce6f3564af5e2a86bb16) • [1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi)
## Economy
The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which employs over 80% of the population, and is vulnerable to external shocks, particularly climatic ones.[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) Growth reached 2.5% in the most recent reporting period, reflecting a partial agricultural recovery after the 2024 [El Niño](https://www.edgepedia.org/el-nino) drought, but remained below the pace needed to raise per capita income meaningfully. [Real GDP](https://www.edgepedia.org/real-gdp) growth is projected at 2.8% in 2027 and above 3% by 2028.[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) Over the past 30 years, per capita GDP increased by over 50%, an amount the World Bank judges insufficient to raise living standards; despite being home to only 0.24% of the world's population, Malawi is home to 2% of the world's poor.[11](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/publication/country-economic-memorandum-a-narrow-path-to-prosperity)
**Macroeconomic pressures.** Since 2020, Malawi has experienced a deep and protracted economic crisis marked by elevated inflation, deteriorating fiscal balances, and depreciating exchange rates.[16](https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/002/2025/226/article-A001-en.xml) • [17](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/publication/economic-monitor) Total public debt reached 88% of GDP by the end of 2024, and interest payments absorb nearly half of domestic revenue, crowding out social, infrastructure, and resilience spending.[7](https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2025/07/22/pr25261-malawi-imf-executive-board-concludes-2025-article-iv-consultation) • [1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) Foreign exchange distortions, including a wide gap between official and parallel market rates, constrain firms' ability to import fuel, fertilizer, and equipment, discourage formal exports, and promote informal foreign exchange activity.[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) The new government embarked on fiscal consolidation after the 2025 elections, narrowing the deficit to 8.8% of GDP in FY2025/26, 1.7 percentage points lower than the previous year, through stronger revenue mobilization, a higher VAT rate, electronic invoicing, and expenditure restraint.[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi)
**Structural constraints.** [Agricultural policy](https://www.edgepedia.org/agricultural-policy) has long promoted food self-sufficiency rather than commercial farming, leaving the sector with untapped potential for growth and job creation; commercial farmers constitute only a small minority of the population.[11](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/publication/country-economic-memorandum-a-narrow-path-to-prosperity) Every year, 270,000 young people enter the labor market, yet the economy generates only 40,000 formal jobs.[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) [Electricity](https://www.edgepedia.org/electricity) access is among the lowest in the world, and unreliable power supply, high transport and logistics costs, and limited access to long-term credit further constrain private investment.[17](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/publication/economic-monitor) • [1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi)
## Poverty and human development
Although recent household surveys record gains in literacy and education, they also reveal rising food poverty, a growing gap between rich and poor, and heavy dependence on informal, occasional work: particularly among the young.[18](https://www.worldbank.org/en/brief/2026/09/23/malawi-economic-monitor-building-stability-to-unlock-growth) Poverty is expected to decline only marginally, from 76.6% in 2026 to 75.9% by 2028.[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) In the 2015 UNDP Human Development Index, Malawi ranked 173 out of 188 countries.[19](https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/279041495480051045/pdf/Digital-Malawi-PAD-P160533-Formatted-Final-vF-05162017.pdf) The 2022-23 cholera outbreak was the deadliest in the country in the last sixty-year period, with over 56,090 cases and 1,712 deaths, accounting for 53 percent of all cholera deaths reported by the World Health Organization for Sub-Saharan Africa.[6](https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/6ca408f5ab29c4943962834d8d43ef63-0010012024/original/Malawi-CERP-Project-Paper-October-2024-Public.pdf)
## International engagement
Malawi joined the IMF on July 19, 1965 and has had 18 arrangements since membership; its quota is SDR 138.8 million, and outstanding purchases and loans stood at SDR 276.65 million as of March 31, 2026.[2](https://www.imf.org/en/countries/mwi) The IMF's 2025 Article IV consultation concluded on July 21, 2025, and the World Bank notes that an IMF-supported program could strengthen policy credibility, support fiscal discipline, and unlock additional concessional financing.[2](https://www.imf.org/en/countries/mwi) • [18](https://www.worldbank.org/en/brief/2026/09/23/malawi-economic-monitor-building-stability-to-unlock-growth) Key development partners include the European Union, African Development Bank, United Nations agencies, and bilateral donors such as Norway, Ireland, FCDO, the US Government, Germany, Japan, China, and Iceland.[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi) As of September 2026, the World Bank's Malawi portfolio consisted of 23 IDA lending operations totaling $3.13 billion, complemented by $234 million in trust funds.[1](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi)
Digital infrastructure has expanded rapidly with donor support. Between 2017 and 2024, the Malawi Digital Foundations Project cut the wholesale price of internet access from around $460 per Mbit/s per month to below $10, brought roughly seven million Malawians online for the first time, trained over 19,000 youth in digital skills through 10 Tech Hubs, and connected over 600 government sites.[20](https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2025/06/23/digitalizing-afe-malawi-to-improve-access-to-education-public-services-and-income-opportunities)
## References
1. [Malawi, World Bank Group country overview](https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/malawi)
2. [Malawi and the IMF, International Monetary Fund](https://www.imf.org/en/countries/mwi)
3. [Malawi at Sixty: A Political and Economic Analysis, JSTOR](https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.37730327)
4. [A guide to Malawi's presidential and parliamentary elections, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/a938339e405cc33891f7c697865e51cb)
5. [Former President Mutharika wins Malawi election to oust longtime rival Chakwera, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/07706188fde0f0314348e74919ee3e10)
6. [Malawi CERP Project Paper, October 2024, World Bank](https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/6ca408f5ab29c4943962834d8d43ef63-0010012024/original/Malawi-CERP-Project-Paper-October-2024-Public.pdf)
7. [IMF Executive Board Concludes 2025 Article IV Consultation with Malawi](https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2025/07/22/pr25261-malawi-imf-executive-board-concludes-2025-article-iv-consultation)
8. [Malawi Country Partnership Framework, World Bank](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/publication/malawi-country-partnership-framework-a-focused-and-flexible-engagement-strategy)
9. [Climate Risk and Adaptation Country Profile: Malawi, World Bank Climate Knowledge Portal](https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/2018-10/wb_gfdrr_climate_change_country_profile_for_MWI.pdf)
10. [Malawi Country Environmental Analysis, World Bank](https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/508561550587004266/pdf/AUS0000489-WP-P162772-PUBLIC-18-2-2019-13-4-24-MalawiCEAReportWeb.pdf)
11. [Country Economic Memorandum: A Narrow Path to Prosperity, World Bank](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/publication/country-economic-memorandum-a-narrow-path-to-prosperity)
12. [Enabling Environments for Civic Movements and the Dynamics of Democratic Transition - Malawi, Freedom House via Refworld](https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/freehou/2008/63003)
13. [Daniel N. Posner, Malawi's New Dawn, Journal of Democracy 6:1 (1995)](https://web.mit.edu/posner/www/papers/6.1posner.html)
14. [Malawi counts votes in a presidential election where economic turmoil was the top issue, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/397aa544946efd6e1dfc0258d406bfdf)
15. [Peter Mutharika is sworn in as Malawi president in political comeback at the age of 85, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/23ca3ea49c9fce6f3564af5e2a86bb16)
16. [Malawi: 2025 Article IV Consultation, IMF eLibrary](https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/002/2025/226/article-A001-en.xml)
17. [Malawi Economic Monitor, World Bank](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/publication/economic-monitor)
18. [Malawi Economic Monitor - Building Stability to Unlock Growth, World Bank](https://www.worldbank.org/en/brief/2026/09/23/malawi-economic-monitor-building-stability-to-unlock-growth)
19. [Digital Malawi Project Appraisal Document, World Bank](https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/279041495480051045/pdf/Digital-Malawi-PAD-P160533-Formatted-Final-vF-05162017.pdf)
20. [Digitalizing Malawi to improve access to education, public services, and income opportunities, World Bank](https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2025/06/23/digitalizing-afe-malawi-to-improve-access-to-education-public-services-and-income-opportunities)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Places and geography › Countries, territories, and regional overviews › Countries and territories › Titles H to Q*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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