Government of Malawi

Malawi in Figures
2020 Edition

National Statistical Office

Malawi in Figures is an annual publication of the National Statistical
Contents Page
Office. Data sources include the Statistical Yearbook, Population and
housing census Reports, the 2016/17 Integrated Household Surveys Geography and
(IHS), Malawi Demographic & Health Surveys (DHS) and Climate 4
administrative records from Statistical Units in various sectors. Geography 4
Climate 4
Annual rainfall 4
For more information , please contact:
The Commissioner of Statistics Population 5
National Statistical Office
Mid-year population by sex 5
Population (de-jure) distribution by
Chimbiya Road Region 5
P.O. Box 333, Zomba, Malawi Population (de-jure) Density by Region 5
Tel: (+265) 1 524 377 Population (de-jure) Distribution of Persons Ages 18
Fax: (+265 1 525 130 years and Over by Region, 2018 6
Website: www.nsomalawi.mw Population (de-jure) by Urban/Rural Residence, 2018 6
Email: pubstatistics@yahoo.com
Households and Household Size by Region, 2008 and
2018 6

External Trade 7
Value of Imports and Exports 7
Value of Imports of selected
Symbols Commodities 7
Value of Exports of Selected
The following symbols are used throughout the booklet Commodities 7
Trade with SADC Region 8
% percent ‘bn billion
Trade Balance 9

P ‘mn Map of SADC Region 9

provisional million
Prices 10
mm millimeters km kilometers
Year on year Consumer Price Inflation rates 10
Composite National Consumer Price
Malawi Index 10
K Kwacha Kg Kilogram
National Accounts 11
Gross Domestic Product by Activity in Current
(Nominal) Prices 11
GDP by Activity in Constant 2017 Prices 12

Balance of Payments 13
Balance of Payments Concept 13

Banking 15
Average Annual Exchange rates 15

1 2
 Geography
Content
Page
s Malawi is a sub-Saharan land locked country located south of the equator. It is
bordered to the north and northeast by the United Republic of Tanzania; to the
Public Sector 15 east, south and southwest by the People’s Republic of Mozambique; and to the
west and Northwest by the Republic of Zambia. To the west and south of the
Central Government Revenue and Expenditure 15 lake are fertile plains and high mountain ranges (heights shown below).

Tourism 16 Climate
Departing visitors by length of stay 16
Malawi has two distinct seasons: a wet, warm season and a dryer,
Purpose of visit 16
cooler season. The wet, rainy season runs from October to April, while
the dry season runs from May to September.
Transport 16
Freight and Passengers handled by Rail, Lake and
Air 16 Annual rainfall (mm) 2017 2018 2019
Educatio
Mzuzu (Mzuzu Airport) 821 1094 894
n 17
Lilongwe (Chitedze Met.) 984 777 819
Key Education Indicators 17
Blantyre (Chichiri Met.) 1,010 661 1314
Quality Indicators 18
Efficiency Indicators 18 Average quarterly temperatures
Equity Indicators 18 (degree celcius) 2010-2019 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Health 19
Maximum
Fertility rate 19
Deaths per 1,000 live Mzuzu (Mzuzu Airport) 26.1 22.7 23.7 27.8
births 19 Lilongwe (Kamuzu Airpot) 26.6 24.1 25.3 29.2
Blantyre (Chileka Airport) 28.8 26.5 27.5 31.8
Children age 12-23 month who received: (%) 19
Children under age 5 who were malnourished (%) 19 Minimum
Children 6-59 months who were anemic (%) 19 Mzuzu (Mzuzu Airport) 17.17.4 12.9 9.5 16.2
Live births according to place of birth
(%) 19 Lilongwe (Kamuzu Airport) 17.5 12.1 11.3 17.8
Blantyre (Chileka Airport) 20.2 16.3 15.6 20.5
Agriculture 20
Land and Water
Tobacco Average Auction Price (U.S Cents/KG) 20
Area ('Mn Hectares) 2016 2017 2018 2019
Value of Sales ('000 U.S $) 20 Total area 11.85 11.85 11.85 11.85
National Crop Production 20 Land area 9.42 9.42 9.42 9.42
Tea and Sugar
Production 20 Water area 2.43 2.43 2.43 2.43

Electricity 21
Electricity Sales 21
Poverty 21
Poverty by background characteristics, Malawi 2017 21

3
 Population (de-jure) Distribution of Persons Ages 18
years and Over by Region, 2018
Population
Total 18+ Male 18+ Female 18+
Mid-year population by sex
2017p 2018 Malawi 8,669,215 4,120,104 4,549,111

Northern 1,128,446 541,149 587,297

Number Number
Sex ('000) % ('000) %
Central 3,761,964 1,820,791 1,941,173
Total 17,373.2 100.0 17,563.8 100.0
Southern 3,778,805 1,758,164 2,020,641
Male 8,546.5 49.2 8,521.5 48.5
Female 8,826.7 50.8 9,042.3 51.5
Population (de-jure) by Urban/Rural Residence, 2018
Note: p = Projections
Both
Sexes Male Female
Population (de-jure) distribution by Region
Malawi 17,563,749 8,521,456 9,042,293
2008 2018
Urban 2,783,364 1,385,218 1,398,146
Number Number
Region ('000) % ('000) %
Rural 14,780,385 7,136,238 7,644,147

Malawi 13,029.5 100.0 17,563.7 100.0

Northern 1,679.5 12.9 2,287.0 13.0 Households and Household Size by Region, 2008 and
2018
Central 5,497.3 42.2 7,526.2 42.9

Southern 5,852.8 44.9 7,750.6 44.1 Region 2008 2018

Total Total
Number of Average Number of Average
Household Household Household Household
Population (de-jure) Density by Region s Size s Size

2008 2018 Malawi 2,869,933 4.6 3,984,929 4.4

Land Area Northern 336,602 5.1 471,863 4.8

Region (Sq. Km.) Population Density
Central 1,192,139 4.6 1,713,490 4.4
Malawi 94,552 138 186 Southern 1,341,192 4.4 1,799,576 4.3
Northern 27,131 62 84
Central 35,641 186 211
Southern 31,780 184 244

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 External Trade
Trade with SADC Region

Value of Imports and Exports Mn,Kacha Imports 'Mn Kwacha

2017 2018 2019

2017 2018 2019
Total Imports (a) 1,861,980.7 2,047,426.4 2,152,355.8 SADC (a) 511,250.4 533,201.0 403,036.7
Domestic Exports (b) 615,274.0 619,287.0 719,100.9 Botswana 7,217.8 6,959.4 4,435.5
Re-exports 33,236.9 17,934.0 23,650.8 Lesotho 40.9 24.3 31.6
Total Exports 648,510.9 637,221.1 742,751.8 Mauritius 7,343.3 5,336.5 1,501.4
Trade Balance -1213469.8 -1410205.3 -1409604.1 Mozambique 28,903.7 28,074.3 20,403.7
(a) Imports are valued c.i.f. (cost, insurance
Note: and freight), and consist of goods imported Namibia 485.3 664.1 603.9
directly for consumption and goods imported South Africa 330,541.8 363,617.7 252,117.5
"on bond".
Zimbabwe 13,521.0 19,206.0 14,875.4
(b) Exports are valued f.o.b. (free on board) or Swaziland 6,881.7 2,903.9 3,019.6
f.o.r. (free on rail).
Tanzania 31,723.1 41,611.0 38,156.4
Value of Imports of Selected Commodities Zambia 82,849.0 63,527.9 64,933.3
Mn
2017 2018 2019
Exports Kwacha
Diesel 84,217.0 94,878.0 71,500.0
Petrol 158,874.7 159,017.8 70,609.9 2017 2018 2019
Paraffin 296.1 243.7 138.5 SADC (a) 113,211.7 150,792.2 139,300.2
Fertilizers 109,526.2 126,549.2 157,321.8 Botswana 1,783.5 1,159.1 3,553.3
Coal 2,953.0 3,440.4 2,735.8 Lesotho 3.2 - 3.0
Mauritius 920.2 1,555.1 130.9
Value of Exports of Selected Commodities(a) Mozambique 13,511.3 10,918.3 12,141.2
Namibia 128.3 62.0 93.6
2017 2018 2019
South Africa 47,858.1 61,968.2 50,826.8
Tea 56,399.2 63,75.9 58,655.0
Zimbabwe 20,415.9 27,215.3 16,766.5
Tobacco 353,623.0 341,485.5 343,230.3
Swaziland 109.0 113.3 44.3
Cotton 3,587.9 3,916.0 29,641.0
Tanzania 12,354.9 11,423.2 23,437.8
Sugar 29,596.9 27,634.4 62,622.4
Zambia 15,163.9 35,439.3 28,079.0
Pulses 12,195.6 32,619.8 1,277.5
Rice 109.2 102.6 72.7
Coffee 1,806.6 1,226.4 1,985.5
Nuts (b) 25,328.4 31,047.9 52,328.3
Skins & Hides 1,156.4 407.1 339.3

a) Exports are valued f.o.b. (free on board) or for. (free on rail)

(b) Includes ground, cashew and Macadamia nuts

8
Trade Balance
MK' Million Prices

2017 2018 2019 Month to Month Consumer Price (percentages)

- Inflation rates (December 2017=100)
SADC (a) 139,110.7 -381,605.7 -405,989.3
Botswana -5,469.9 -5,800.3 -4,121.5 2019

Lesotho -37.7 -24.3 -40.2 National 0.9

Mauritius -6,423.1 -3,781.4 -1,860.2 Urban 0.6

Mozambique -15,539.2 -17,226.8 -15,510.4 Rural 1.2

Blantyre
Namibia -356.9 -601.9 -632.7 City 0.7
- Lilongwe
South Africa 282,617.6 -301,176.8 -308,202.8 City 0.7
Zimbabwe 6,511.9 7,739.6 -3,372.6 Mzuzu City 0.4
Swaziland -6,772.7 -2,790.6 -2,958.7 Zomba City 0.5
Tanzania -19.172.4 -29,944.9 -22,532.3
Zambia -67,453.7 -27,709.3 -48,586.6
Composite National Consumer Price
Index

Note: (a) Southern Africa Development Community (comprises 2019

fifteen countries)
All items 114.5
Food 119.0
Map of SADC Region
Alcoholic drinks and Tobacco 114.1
Clothing and Footwear 113.4
Housing, water and electricity 110.2
Furnishing and Household Operation 112.8
Health 114.4
Transportation 112.2
Communication 104.6
Recreation and Culture 107.7
Education 106.1
Restaurants and Hotels 108.3
Miscellaneous 115.8

Note: The indices are the Laspeyres "base-weighted" type, where prices
are compared to a fixed base period. The weights are based on
expenditure patterns of households derived from the results of the
Integrated Household Survey (IHS4). This was conducted from March
2016 to March 2017

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10
National Accounts National Accounts (Cont'd)
Gross Domestic Product by Activity in Current
(Nominal) Prices MK' Million GDP by Activity in Constant 2017 Prices MK' Million

2018 2019
2018 2019
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing 1,565,092.7 1890668.4 A Agriculture, forestry and fishing 1501799.0 1590375.5
01 Crop and animal production, hunting
01 Crop and animal production,
and related service activities 1463847.7. 1772289.7
hunting and related service activities 1404984.1 1490485.6
02 Forestry and logging 9764.5 10284.4
02 Forestry and logging 8966.5 9005.6
03 Fishing and aquaculture 91480.5 108194.3
B Mining and quarrying 49095.7 52748.4
B Mining and quarrying 53465.2 60238.7
C Manufacturing 787569.3 847814.4
C Manufacturing 824302.2 948401.1
D+E Electricity , gas & water 191811.9 206444.2
D+E Electricity , gas & water 218574.2 251488.3
F Construction 213651.2 230378.0
F Construction 232666.2 263091.7
G Wholesale and retail trade 857719.3 909559.1
G Wholesale and retail trade 934056.3 1038716.5
H Transportation and storage 311044.0 338419.1
H Transportation and storage 327236.1 379720.1 I Accommodation and food service
I Accommodation and food service activities 104265.0 107857.9
activities 108089.6 116803.0
J Information and communication 373270.8 407821.9
J Information and communication 406491.9 465732.6
K Financial and insurance activities 409822.4 430698.1
K Financial and insurance activities 446296.6 491857.3
L Real estate activities 451269.7 463729.7
L Real estate activities 479414.7 510898.4
M+N Professional, scientific and
M+N Professional, scientific and technical technical activities, 84397.0 92405.9
activities, 91908.3 105527.5
O Public administration and defence 206823.5 216975.3
O Public administration and defence 222869.2 243829.4
P Education 293927.5 307894.1
P Education 2966777.8 326625.6 Q Human health and social work
Q Human health and social work activities 309164.6 359994.1 activities 296474.9 314630.8
R+S+T+U Other services, nec 128938.7 147077.9 R+S+T+U Other services, nec 121190.9 132002.1

Sum of all industries 6645244.1 7600770

Sum of all industries 6254132.0 6649754.5
Plus: Taxes less Subsidies on products 467897.4 497749.9
Plus: Taxes less Subsidies on
products
GDP in current (nominal) prices 5,258,468.9 8098520.6

GDP in constant 2017prices 6701006.9 7084378.6

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11
Balance of Payments

Concept Balance of Payments (Cont'd)

MK' Million
Concept MK' Million
2018 2019
(1,044,691.3) (909,736.2) 2018 2019
Current account

Credit 1,249,836.0 1,282,068.6 Portfolio Investment 26,376.2 -

Net acquisition of financial
Debit 2,294,527.3 2,191,804.9 assets - -
Goods (1,221,276.9) (1,056,691.0)
Net incurrence of liabilities (26,376.2) -
Credit 819,057.0 860,822.1
Other Investments (283,842.5) (247,980.0)
Debit 2,155,636.2 2,035,180.4
Net acquisition of financial
assets (103,715.5) (88,641.0)
Services (115,302.3) (117,667.2)

Credit 122,840.5 134,595.8 Net incurrence of liabilities 180,127.1 159,339.0

Debit 238,142.9 252,263.0

Reserve Assets (1,141.4) (5,357.6)
Primary Income (120,756.0) (136,964.0)
Monetary gold 73.6 -
Credit 12,548.4 13,053.7

Debit 133,304.4 150,017.6 Special drawing rights (2,172.4) 36.9

Secondary Income 412,643.9 401,586.0 Reserve position in the IMF (73.6) 591.2

Credit 418,230.6 408,192.8

Other reserve assets 1,031.0 (5,985.7)
Debit 5,586.7 6,606.9

Capital Account 536,563.4 548,200.3 Net errors and omissions 170,623.1 18,526.9

Credit 536,701.9 548,357.7

Debit 138.5 157.4

Financial Account (337,504.8) (343,009.1)

Direct Investment (78,897.0) (89,671.5)

Net acquisition of financial assets (4,174.8) (4,744.9)

Net incurrence of liabilities 74,722.2 84,926.6

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Banking Tourism
Departing visitors by length of stay (number)
Average annual exchange rates
2015 2016 2017
2017 2018 2019
Non-resident Departures 804,912 822,473 798,190
UK Pound Sterling 945.45 973.57 950.24 Average Nights Spent per
Visitor 9 14 11
United States Dollar 730.93 732.98 746.00

Euro 827.45 860.54 832.33 Purpose of visit (number)

Zambian Kwacha 76.00 69.15 57.11 2015 2016 2017

South African Rand 55.07 55.74 51.54 Holiday 145,644 209,963 185,496

Japanese Yen 6.48 6.59 6.78 Official/ Business 589,071 530,685 534,140

Source: Reserve Bank of Malawi Visit Relatives/ Friends 70,197 81,825 78,554

Public Sector Finance Transport

Central Government Revenue and Expenditure (K'mn) Freight and Passengers handled by Rail, Lake and Air
2017 2018 2019
2017 2018 2019
Revenue

Income and Profits Tax 389,663.5 456333 426596.2 Rail ('000)

Import Duties 133662.2 119239 198129.4 Freight Net Tonnage per

kilometer 71,347 74,822 89,147
Excise surtax & Customs
Collection 74,523.0 161772 231942.2 Passenger per kilometer 29,883 15,870 18,289
Total tax Revenue 779,230.2 936152 1032980 Number of passengers 214 258 297
Non-tax Revenue 93,843.8 84142 42717
Lake ('000)
Domestic Revenue 795,469.9 1003335 1075697
Freight Net Tonnage per
Grants (a) 148634.8 25667 11809 kilometre ... 1,800 1,800
Total Revenue and Grants 1,102,426. 1085777 1118451 Passenger per kilometre 4,458 2,366 2,366
Expenditure Number of passengers 52 29 29
Gross Expenditure on
Revenue accounts (b) 1,341,015.7 1235790 867455 Air (a)
15,160
Development Account
Expenditure 270,274.2 240400 1179271 Freight tonnes … 6,717
Total Expenditure 1,611,289.9 1476189 182846 Number of passengers
('000) 107 … …
Note: (a) Includes freight and passengers in transit
(b) Freight handled includes loaded, unloaded and in-transit, but
excludes mail.

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16
Education Education (continued)
Key Education Indicators Quality Indicators

2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2017/18 2018/19

Pupil Teacher Ratio- Primary 67 63.5
Pupil Qualified Teacher Ratio-
Total Primary Enrolment 5,073,721 5,187,634 5298624 Primary 70 66.1
Boys 2513876 2,565,344 2675305 Pupil permanent classroom ratio-
Girls 2659645 2,622,290 2675305 Primary 121 119.5

Primary Completion Rate 52 51

Number of Primary
Boys 54 52
schools 6065 6194 6194
Girls 51 51
Public 5552 5611 5710
Secondary completion rate (Form 4) 24 …
Private 513 583 649
Student Qualified Teacher Ratio
Net enrolment rate - (SQTR)- Secondary 41 41
Primary 88 90 89
Efficiency Indicators
Boys 87 87 87
Girls 89 92 91 2017/18 2018/19

Drop-out proportion primary 10.9 9.3

Net enrolment rate -
Secondary 16 16 17 Boys 8.5 7.6
Boys 15 15 16 Girls 13.4 11
Girls
Transition rate to secondary 38.4 38.5

Total Secondary Boys 40.9 41

Enrolment 372885 387569 387553 Girls 35.8 36
Boys 194537 201635 196423
Repetition rate- Primary 24.5 24.1
Girls 178348 185934 191130
Boys 25.1 25
Number of Secondary Girls 23.9 23.1
schools 1827 1487 1452
Equity indicators
Public 824 830 838
Gender Parity Index (GPI) for
Private 383 353 308
primary enrolment 1.0 1
Gender Parity Index (GPI) for
Open Day Sec Sch. 620 304 306
secondary enrollment 0.9 0.9
Percentage of SNE students
Total TTC Enrolment (Primary) 3.4 3.3
(IPTE) 7373 7373 … Percentage of SNE students
Males 3402 3402 … (Secondary) 1.6 1.65

Females 3971 3971 … Source: Ministry of Education, Science & Technology (EMIS)

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18
Health Agriculture
Fertility rate (15-49)
Tobacco Average Auction Price (U.S Cents/Kg)
2010 2015
Total 5.7 4.4
2017 2018 2019
Urban 4.0 3.0
Rural 6.1 4.7 Burley 177.10 155.8 130.8
Flue-cured 291.92 225.2 218.7
Deaths per 1,000 live births Northern Division 175.32 160.2 139.9
Southern Division 179.39 172.6 148.3
2010 2015
Under-5 mortality 112 63 Value of Sales ('000 U.S $)
Infant mortality 66 42
2017 2018 2019
Neonatal mortality 31 27
Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) 675 439 Burley 144,242 255,499 181,769
Flue-cured 60,756 72,682 49,504
Children age 12-23 month who received: (%) Northern Division 6,836 7,849 4,695
Southern Division 678,215 1,469 1,017
2010 2015
National Crop Production
All basic vaccinations 81 76 (Metric Tonnes)
No
vaccination 2 2 2017/18 2018/19
Maize 2,697,959 3,391,924
Children under age 5 who were malnourished (%) Rice 112,313 132,728
2010 2015 Cassava 5,410,506 5,806,223
Stunted 47 37 S/Potato 5,668,543 6,526,705
Underweight 13 12 Potato 1,125,874 1,104,048
Wasted 4 3 Wheat 729 716
Millet 31,315 44,912
Children 6-59 months who were anaemic (%)
Sorghum 82,852 137,097
2010 2015
Source: APES, Ministry of Agriculture
Total 63 63
Severe 3 2
Tea and Sugar Production
Moderate 36 34
Mild 23 27 Production Sales
('000 tonnes) ('Mn Kwacha)
Live births according to place of birth (%) 2018 2019 2018 2019
2010 2015 Tea 50.6 48.2 3,312 9,217
Delivered in Health facility 73 91 Sugar 198.0 144.7 … …
Delivered at home 54 7
Source: Malawi Demographic and Health Survey, 2015/16

20
19
Electricity
Electricity Sales 'Mn Kwacha
2018 2019
Total 75,430.1 115,756.6
Domestic 29,916.0 37,255.7
Power 23,147.6 45,572.9
General Tariff 23,189.9 32,387.8
Export to Mozambique & Zambia 336.0 538.1

Poverty
Poverty by background characteristics, Malawi 2017

Poverty
Background Ultra- 2011 (IHS
characteristics Poverty poverty 4)

Malawi 51.5 20.1 50.7

Urban 17.7 4.1 17.3

Rural 59.5 23.8 56.6
North Rural 59.9 23.2 59.9
Centre Rural 53.6 18.9 48.7
South Rural 65.2 28.8 63.3

Source: Integrated Household Survey (IHS4), 2016/17

21