Malawi in Figures is an annual publication of the National Statistical

Office. Data sources include the Statistical Yearbook, Population and

housing census Reports, the 2016/17 Integrated Household Surveys
(IHS), Malawi Demographic & Health Surveys (DHS) and
administrative records from Statistical Units in various sectors.
Government of Malawi
For more information , please contact:
The Commissioner of Statistics
National Statistical Office

Malawi in Figures Chimbiya Road

P.O. Box 333, Zomba, Malawi

2018 Edition Tel: (+265) 1 524 377
Fax: (+265 1 525 130
Website: www.nsomalawi.mw
Email: pubstatistics@yahoo.com

Symbols

The following symbols are used throughout the booklet

% percent ‘bn billion

P provisional ‘mn million

mm Millimetres km kilometres

Malawi
K Kwacha Kg Kilogram

National Statistical Office

1
Contents Page Contents Page
Geography and
Climate 4 Public Sector 15
Geography 4
Central Government Revenue and Expenditure 15
Climate 4
Annual rainfall 4
Tourism 16
Departing visitors by length of stay 16
Population 5
Purpose of visit 16
Mid-year population by sex 5
Population (de-jure) distribution by Transport 16
Region 5
Freight and Passengers handled by Rail, Lake and
Population (de-jure) Density by Region 5 Air 16
Population (de-jure) Distribution of Persons Ages 18
years and Over by Region, 2018 6 Education 17
Population (de-jure) by Urban/Rural Residence, 2018 6 Key Education Indicators 17

Households and Household Size by Region, 2008 and Quality Indicators 18

2018 6 Efficieny Indicators 18

External Trade 7 Equity Indicators 18

Value of Imports and Exports 7 Health 19

Value of Imports of selected Fertility rate 19
Commodities 7 Deaths per 1,000 live
Value of Exports of Selected births 19
Commodities 7
Children age 12-23 month who received : (%) 19
Trade with SADC Region 8
Children under age 5 who were malanorished (%) 19
Trade Balalance 9
Children 6-59 months who were anaemic (%) 19
Map of SADC Region 9 Live births according to place of birth
(%) 19
Prices 10
Year on year Consumer Price Inflation rates 10 Agriculture 20
Composite National Consumer Price Tobacco Average Auction Price (U.S Cents/KG) 20
Index 10
Value of Sales ('000 U.S $) 20
National Accounts 11
National Crop Production 20
Gross Domestic Product by Activity in Current Tea and Sugar
(Nominal) Prices 11 Production 20
Value Added, Chained 2010 Prices 12
Electricity 21
Balance of Payments 13
Electricity Sales 21
Balance of Payments Concept 13
Poverty 21
Banking 15 Poverty by background characteristics, Malawi 2017 21
Average Annual Exchange rates 15

2 3
 Population
Geography
Malawi is a sub-Saharan land locked country located south of the equator. It is Mid-year population by sex
bordered to the north and northeast by the United Republic of Tanzania; to the
east, south and southwest by the People’s Republic of Mozambique; and to the 2017p 2018
west and Northwest by the Republic of Zambia. To the west and south of the lake
are fertile plains and high mountain ranges (heights shown below). Number Number
Sex ('000) % ('000) %
Climate
Total 17,373.2 100.0 17,563.8 100.0
Malawi has two distinct seasons: a wet, warm season and a dryer, cooler Male 8,546.5 49.2 8,521.5 48.5
season. The wet, rainy season runs from October to April, while the dry
Female 8,826.7 50.8 9,042.3 51.5
season runs from May to September.
Note: p = Projections

Annual rainfall (mm)

Population (de-jure) distribution by Region
Mzuzu (Mzuzu Airport) 1,335 1,375 821
2008 2018
Lilongwe (Chitedze Met.) 604 647 984
Number Number
Blantyre (Chichiri Met.) 1,454 794 1,010 Region ('000) % ('000) %
Average quarterly temperatures
(degree celcius) 2008-2017 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Malawi 13,029.5 100.0 17,563.7 100.0
Northern 1,679.5 12.9 2,287.0 13.0
Maximum
Central 5,497.3 42.2 7,526.2 42.9
Mzuzu (Mzuzu Airport) 25.7 22.7 23.3 27.8
Southern 5,852.8 44.9 7,750.6 44.1
Lilongwe (Kamuzu Airpot) 26.3 24.9 25.2 29.1
Blantyre (Chileka Airport) 28.7 26.5 27.2 31.8

Minimum
Population (de-jure) Density by Region
Mzuzu (Mzuzu Airport) 17.17.3 12.7 9.5 16.0
2008 2018
Lilongwe (Kamuzu Airport) 17.3 11.8 10.8 17.7
Blantyre (Chileka Airport) 20.1 16.3 15.6 21.0
Land Area
Region (Sq. Km.) Population Density
Land and Water
Area ('Mn Hectares) 2014 2015 2016 2017 Malawi 94,552 138 186
Total area 11.85 11.85 11.85 11.85 Northern 27,131 62 84
Land rea 9.42 9.42 9.42 9.42 Central 35,641 186 211
Water area 2.43 2.43 2.43 2.43 Southern 31,780 184 244

4 5
Population (de-jure) Distribution of Persons Ages 18 External Trade
years and Over by Region, 2018
('Mn
Value of Imports and Exports Kwacha)
Total 18+ Male 18+ Female 18+
2015 2016 2017
Malawi 8,669,215 4,120,104 4,549,111
Total Imports (a) 1,079,846.9 1,589,537.5 1,861,980.7
Northern 1,128,446 541,149 587,297 Domestic Exports (b) 490,560.9 667,878.2 615,274.0

Central 3,761,964 1,820,791 1,941,173 Re-exports 25,671.0 39,136.8 33,236.9

Total Exports 516,231.8 707,015.0 648,510.9
Southern 3,778,805 1,758,164 2,020,641
Trade Balance -563,615.1 -882,522.5 -1,213,469.8
(a) Imports are valued c.i.f. (cost, insurance
Note: and freight), and consist of goods imported
Population (de-jure) by Urban/Rural Residence, 2018 directly for consumption and goods imported
Both "on bond".
Sexes Male Female
(b) Exports are valued f.o.b. (free on board) or
Malawi 17,563,749 8,521,456 9,042,293 f.o.r. (free on rail).

Urban 2,783,364 1,385,218 1,398,146 Value of Imports of Selected Commodities

Rural 14,780,385 7,136,238 7,644,147 2015 2016 2017

Diesel 57,776.3 92,590.7 84,217.0
Households and Household Size by Region, 2008 and Petrol 45,017.0 78,167.2 74,796.4
2018
Paraffin 262.4 350.3 296.1
Fertilizers 96,547.7 88,439.8 113,364.3
Region 2008 2018
Coal 2,113.6 3,331.0 2,990.3
Total Average Total Average
Number of Household Number of Household
Households Size Households Size Value of Exports of Selected Commodities(a)

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

2015 2016 2017
Northern 336,602 5.1 471,863 4.8
Tea 30,633.6 43,502.4 70,139.9
Central 1,192,139 4.6 1,713,490 4.4
Tobacco 172,040.8 348,093.3 377,153.8
Southern 1,341,192 4.4 1,799,576 4.3
Cotton 11,782.3 6,921.9 3,587.9
Sugar 13,254.1 65,378.9 34,296.6
Pulses 3,349.4 24,528.4 13,160.2
Rice 155.2 63.3 109.4
Coffee 1,879.5 2,276.9 2,117.1
Nuts (b) 13,323.1 17,858.7 25,328.4
Skins & Hides 13,323.1 17,858.7 25,328.4

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

(b) Includes ground, cashew and Macadamia nuts

6 7
Trade with SADC Region Trade Balance 'Mn Kwacha

Imports 'Mn Kwacha

2015 2016 2017
2015 2016 2017 -
SADC (a) 208,031.8 -324,923.4 -360,148.2
SADC (a) 359,842.8 503,289.6 510,748.6
Botswana -3,344.8 1,850.1 -5,448.9
Botswana 4,198.8 4,762.4 7,232.5
Lesotho -169.9 -92.3 -37.6
Lesotho 170.9 119.3 40.8
Mauritius -10,565.6 -1,072.3 -6,598.2
Mauritius 10,935.7 2,156.2 7,343.4
Mozambique 10,328.4 3,243.5 -15,209.9
Mozambique 35,289.4 22,044.5 28,892.4
Namibia -2,287.0 -312.0 -356.5
Namibia 2,346.1 386.8 485.0 -
South Africa 204,543.9 277,292.5 330,161.3 South Africa 168,155.3 -219,762.1 -282,303.7

Zimbabwe 12,419.6 11,938.3 13,449.7 Zimbabwe 37,219.8 17,878.4 6,866.3

Swaziland 11,216.3 11,161.7 6,881.6 Swaziland -10,729.9 -11,155.5 -6,772.6

Tanzania 19,498.9 33,129.9 31,670.8 Tanzania -11,339.1 -13,088.4 17,907.5

Zambia 56,082.5 139,353.7 82,848.0 Zambia -46,808.3 -111,491.8 -67,689.6

K'Mn
Exports Kwacha Note: (a) Southern Africa Development Community (comprises
fifteen countries)

2015 2016 2017

Map of SADC Region
SADC (a) 151,811.0 178,366.2 150,600.4
Botswana 854.0 6,612.5 1,783.6
Lesotho 1.0 27.0 3.2
Mauritius 370.1 1,083.9 745.2
Mozambique 45,617.8 25,288.0 13,682.5
Namibia 59.1 74.8 128.5
South Africa 36,388.6 57,530.4 47,857.6
Zimbabwe 49,639.4 29,816.7 20,316.0
Swaziland 486.4 6.2 109.0
Tanzania 8,159.8 20,041.5 49,578.3
Zambia 9,274.2 27,861.9 15,158.4

8 9
Prices National Accounts
Gross Domestic Product by Activity in Current
Year-on-year Consumer Price Inflation (percentages) (Nominal) Prices
MK' Million
rates
2016 2017p
2015 2016 2017
National 21.9 21.8 11.6 A Agriculture, forestry and fishing 1,064,941.7 1,318,052.0

Urban 19.7 17.8 10.1 01 Crop and animal production, hunting

and related service activities 728,175.4 914,871.3
Rural 24 24.7 12.8
Blantyre 02 Forestry and logging 277,999.5 331,903.8
City 22.6 17.1 9.0 03 Fishing and aquaculture 58,766.8 71,276.8
Lilongwe
City 13.1 16.2 10.8 B Mining and quarrying 33,992.0 39,919.0
Mzuzu City 13.5 21.6 13.3 C Manufacturing 359,247.5 439,970.7
Zomba City 28.4 14.6 11.0 D+E Electricity , gas & water 46,630.2 55,714.8
F Construction 107,988.0 129,229.6
Composite National Consumer Price G Wholesale and retail trade 608,913.6 750,500.4
Index
H Transportation and storage 104,047.3 128,441.9
2016 2017 I Accommodation and food service
activities 75,753.4 91,570.4
All items 233.7 260.7
J Information and communication 169,125.2 204,160.7
Food 234.4 258.4
K Financial and insurance activities 200,098.4 245,480.4
Alcoholic drinks and Tobacco 181.3 209.3
L Real estate activities 295,599.1 355,846.0
Clothing and Footwear 199.1 224.6 M+N Professional, scientific and technical
Housing, water and electricity 294.1 345.4 activities, 11,668.4 14,204.0

Furnishing and Household Operation 225.7 246.7 O Public administration and defence 79,155.6 97,635.2

Health 184.4 225.3 P Education 103,043.9 132,431.0

Transportation 202.7 211.9 Q Human health and social work activities 104,412.7 128,550.6

Communication 195.9 205.1 R+S+T+U Other services, nec 193,228.5 232,820.7

Recreation and Culture 268.9 321.9 Sum of all industries 3,557,845.6 4,364,527.6
Education 205.6 224.5 Plus: Taxes less Subsidies on products 254,154.6 312,354.5
Restaurants and Hotels 297.6 321.6
GDP in current (nominal) prices 3,812,000.2 4,676,882.2
Miscellaneous 176 191.9

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 (IHS3). This was conducted from March
2010 to March 2011.

10 11
National Accounts (Cont'd) Balance of Payments
MWK'
Value Added, Chained 2010 Prices MK' Million Concept
Million

2016 2017
2014 2015
Current account (781,369.7) (1,254,385.1)
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing 368,910.0 365,106.1
Credit 1,078,785.2 961,540.2
01 Crop and animal production, hunting
Debit 1,860,155.0 2,215,925.3
and related service activities 264,457.5 256,844.0

02 Forestry and logging 89,956.3 93,103.0 Goods (706,886.2) (1,109,534.8)

03 Fishing and aquaculture 14,496.2 15,159.0 Credit 791,919.8 704,299.7

B Mining and quarrying 11,467.5 11,596.9 Debit 1,498,806.0 1,813,834.5

C Manufacturing 117,008.0 121,493.3 Services (120,906.4) (138,573.8)
D+E Electricity , gas & water 15,575.5 15,954.6
Credit 81,844.2 104,857.1
F Construction 34,562.5 35,781.4
Debit 202,750.6 243,430.9
G Wholesale and retail trade 194,360.6 203,894.3
Primary Income (146,282.6) (141,628.2)
H Transportation and storage 32,580.9 33,995.2
I Accommodation and food service Credit 2,841.3 5,512.1
activities 23,372.1 24,554.4
Debit 149,123.9 147,140.3
J Information and communication 50,810.9 55,194.4
Secondary Income 192,705.5 135,351.7
K Financial and insurance activities 61,348.0 64,771.4

L Real estate activities 96,428.4 98,288.5 Credit 202,179.9 146,871.3

M+N Professional, scientific and technical Debit 9,474.4 11,519.6

activities, 3,675.1 3,858.2
Capital Account 47,189.2 12,403.0
O Public administration and defence 24,016.9 25,530.0
Credit 47,289.6 12,525.1
P Education 30,822.9 32,717.5
Debit 100.4 122.1
Q Human health and social work activities 32,209.3 33,378.5
Financial Account
R+S+T+U Other services, nec 59,281.6 62,769.1
Direct Investment (236,832.5) (206,047.6)

Sum of all industries 1,156,430.1 1,188,884.0 Net acquisition of financial assets (3,026.8) (3,680.2)

Plus: Taxes less Subsidies on products 75,481.1 83,182.5 Net incurrence of liabilities 233,805.7 202,367.4

GDP 1,231,911.2 1,272,066.5

12 13
Balance of Payments (Cont'd) Banking
Concept Average annual exchange rates

2015 2016 2017

2016 2017
UK Pound Sterling 762.59 967.36 949.03

Portfolio Investment (5,547.1) (6,744.6) United States Dollar 499.61 713.85 721.23
Net acquisition of financial Euro 554.04 788.99 808.57
assets (76.3) (92.8)
Zambian Kwacha 60.79 69.33 72.37
Net incurrence of liabilities 5,470.8 6,651.8
South African Rand 39.03 48.71 51.32

Other Investments (211,027.2) (304,962.4) Japanese Yen 4.13 6.58 7.07

Net acquisition of financial Source: Reserve Bank of Malawi

assets 29,660.2 60,485.4
Public Sector Finance
Net incurrence of liabilities 240,687.3 365,447.8
Central Government Revenue and Expenditure (K'mn)
Reserve Assets (47,962.7) 110,589.7 2015 2016 2017

Revenue
Monetary gold - -
Income and Profits Tax 265,705.2 585,766.1 389,663.5

Special drawing rights (3,590.0) 6,578.4 Import Duties 89,957.8 114,619.4 133,662.2

Excise surtax & Customs

Reserve position in the IMF (71.8) 146.2 Collection 42,148.4 60,099.0 74,523.0

Total tax Revenue 511,421.6 664,755.4 779,230.2

Other reserve assets (44,300.9) 103,865.2
Non-tax Revenue 80,902.7 259,357.2 93,843.8

Domestic Revenue 592,324.8 752,114.6 795,469.9

Net errors and omissions 232,811.0 834,817.1
Grants (a) 103,189.6 100,172.2 148,634.8

Total Revenue and Grants 695,514.0 822,286.2 1,102,426.0

Expenditure

Gross Expenditure on
Revenue accounts (b) 824,563.8 990,521.6 1,341,015.7

Development Account
Expenditure 173,954.3 171,747.1 270,274.2

Total Expenditure 998,518.1 1,162,268.7 1,611,289.9

14 15
Tourism Education
Departing visitors by length of stay (number) Key Education Indicators

2015 2016 2017

2014/15 2015/16 2016/17
Non-resident Departures 804,912 822,473 798,190
Average Nights Spent per Total Primary Enrolment 4,804,194 4,901,009 5,073,721
Visitor 9 14 11
Boys 2,398,605 2,439,605 2,513,876
Purpose of visit (number) Girls 2,405,589 2,461,404 2,559,845
2015 2016 2017
Holiday 145,644 209,963 185,496 Number of Primary
schools 5,738 5,864 6,065
Official/ Business 589,071 530,685 534,140
Public 5,415 5,470 5,552
Visit Relatives/ Friends 70,197 81,825 78,554
Private 323 394 513

Transport
Net enrolment rate -
Freight and Passengers handled by Rail, Lake and Air Primary 102 98 88
Boys 101 97 87
2015 2016 2017 Girls 103 99 89

Rail ('000) Net enrolment rate -

Secondary 15.0 15.0 16.0
Freight Net Tonnage per
kilometre 45,161 53,705 71,347 Boys 16.0 15.0 15.0
Passenger per kilometre 7,186 21,231 29,883 Girls 15.0 15.0 15.5
Number of passengers 93 156 214
Total Secondary
Lake ('000) Enrolment 358,033 351,651 372,885
Boys 190,623 185,063 194,537
Freight Net Tonnage per
kilometre 278.0 2,627.9 ... Girls 167,410 166,588 178,348
Passenger per kilometre 2,419 2,313 4,458
Number of Secondary
Number of passengers 31 30 52
schools

Air (a) Public 816 747 824

Freight tonnes (b) (KIA) 4,253.2 1,101.0 ... Private 360 383 383

Number of passengers
('000) KIA 227 72 107 Open Day Sec Sch. 278 323 620

Note: (a) Includes freight and passengers in transit

Total TTC Enrolment
(b) Freight handled includes loaded, unloaded and in-transit, but (IPTE) 10,194 7,373 7,373
excludes mail.
Males 4,304 3,402 3,402
KIA = Kamuzu International Airport
Females 5,890 3,971 3,971

16 17
 Education (continued) Health
Fertility rate (15-49)
Quality Indicators
2010 2015
2015/16 2016/17
Total 5.7 4.4
Pupil Teacher Ratio- Primary 74.3 71.3
Pupil Qualified Teacher Ratio- Urban 4.0 3.0
Primary 79.5 76.9
Rural 6.1 4.7
Pupil permanent classroom ratio-
Primary 122.0 121.4
Deaths per 1,000 live births
Primary Completion Rate 51 53
2010 2015
Boys 55 55
Under-5 mortality 112 63
Girls 47 51
Infant mortality 66 42
Secondary completion rate (Form 4) … 21.9
Neonatal mortality 31 27
Student Qualified Teacher Ratio
Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) 675 439
(SQTR)- Secondary 43.5 45.4

Efficiency Indicators Children age 12-23 month who received : (%)

2015/16 2016/17 2010 2015

Drop-out proportion primary 3.9 4.1 All basic vaccinations 81 76

Boys 3.8 4.0 No
vaccination 2 2
Girls 4.0 4.2
Children under age 5 who were malnourished (%)
Transition rate to secondary 35.0 38.4
2010 2015
Boys 33.5 40.9
Stunted 47 37
Girls 36.4 35.8
Underweight 13 12
Repetition rate- Primary 23.4 23.9 Wasted 4 3
Boys 24.1 24.5
Girls 22.7 23.3
Children 6-59 months who were anaemic (%)
2010 2015
Equity indicators
Total 63 63
Gender Parity Index (GPI) for
primary enrolment 1.002 1.01 Severe 3 2

Gender Parity Index (GPI) for Moderate 36 34

secondary enrollment 0.88 0.90 Mild 23 27
Percentage of SNE students
(Primary) 2.4 2.9
Live births according to place of birth (%)
Percentage of SNE students
(Secondary) 1.5 1.6 2010 2015
Delivered in Health facility 73 91
Source: Ministry of Education, Science & Technology (EMIS)
Delivered at home 54 7
Source: Malawi Demographic and Health Survey, 2015/16

18 19
Agriculture Electricity
Tobacco Average Auction Price (U.S Cents/Kg) Electricity Sales 'Mn Kwacha
2016 2017

2015 2016 2017 Total 67,213.9 66,912.7

Domestic 36,535.2 39,114.1
Burley 166.55 129.34 177.10
Power 21,720.3 22,263.9
Flue-cured 235.04 255.49 291.92
General Tarrif 8,456.6 4,980.4
Northern Division 216.23 198.53 175.32
Export to Mozambique & Zambia 501.8 554.3
Southern Division 222.39 213.58 179.39

Value of Sales ('000 U.S $)

Poverty
2015 2016 2017
Poverty by background characteristics, Malawi 2017
Burley 226,215 144,242 255,499
Flue-cured 44,859 60,756 72,682 Poverty
Background Ultra- 2011 (IHS
Northern Division 358,747 6,836 7,849
characteristics Poverty poverty 3)
Southern Division 4,957 678,215 1,469
Malawi 51.5 20.1 50.7
National Crop Production
Urban 17.7 4.1 17.3
2015/16 2016/17
Rural 59.5 23.8 56.6
Maize 2,369,493 3,464,139
North Rural 59.9 23.2 59.9
Rice 83,757 121,079
Centre Rural 53.6 18.9 48.7
Cassava 4,996,843 4,196,187
South Rural 65.2 28.8 63.3
S/Potato 5,122,473 5,197,215
Potato 1,043,338 906,080 Source: Integrated Household Survey (IHS4), 2016/17
Wheat 797 745
Millet 19,510 35,121
Sorghum 58,192 90,370
Source: APES, Ministry of Agriculture

Tea and Sugar Production

Production Sales
('000 tonnes) ('Mn Kwacha)
2016 2017 2016 2017
Tea 43.1 45.6 4,784.2 4,430.0
Sugar 124.0 264.0 … …

20 21