Rumours swirled in 2016 in Malawi about Pres.Peter Mutharika’s health. Allegations thatMutharika was ill arose after he departed in

September for a UN meeting in New York and increasedwhen his return home was delayed. Although the gov-ernment offered work-related explanations for his pro-longed stay, rumours ofpoor health or death per-sisted. When Mutharika didreturn, one month after hehad left, his apparent in-ability to use his right armand his decision to notspeak with the media orthe crowds at the airportsparked more questions.Mutharika later said he wassuffering from rheumatismand that he was otherwise“in excellent health.”

DemographyPopulation (2016): 18,570,000.Density (2016)4: persons per sq mi510.2, persons per sq km 197.0.

Sex distribution (2015): male 49.48%;female 50.52%.

Population projection: (2020)21,197,000; (2030) 29,275,000.

Major cities (2008): Lilongwe674,448; Blantyre 661,256;Mzuzu 133,968; Zomba88,314.

Urban-rural (2014):

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 pop-ulation (2015): 41.6(world avg. 19.5).

Death rate per 1,000population (2015): 8.4(world avg. 8.1).

Life expectancy at birth(2015): male 58.7 years;female 62.7 years.

Adult population (ages15–49) living with HIV(2015): 9.1% (worldavg. 0.8%).

Age breakdown (2015):

Tribal composition (2008): Religious affiliation (2005):

Malawi

Official name: Republic of Malawi1, 2.Form of government: multiparty republic withone legislative house (National Assembly[193]).

Head of state and government: President PeterMutharika.

Capital: Lilongwe3.Official language: 1.Official religion: none.Monetary unit: Malawian kwacha (MK); valua-tion (Sept. 1, 2016) 1 U.S.$ = MK 720.99; 1 £ = MK 958.92.

Area and populationarea population area population

Regions 2008 Regions 2008Districts/Cities sq km census5 Districts/Cities sq km census5

Central 35,592 5,510,195Dedza 3,624 624,445Dowa 3,041 558,470Kasungu 7,878 627,467Lilongwe (rural) 5,703 1,230,834Lilongwe (city) 456 674,448Mchinji 3,356 456,516Nkhota kota 4,259 303,659Ntcheu 3,424 471,589Ntchisi 1,655 224,872Salima 2,196 337,895

Northern 26,931 1,708,930Chitipa 4,288 178,904Karonga 3,355 269,890Likoma 18 10,414Mzimba 10,382 727,931Mzuzu (city) 48 133,968Nkhata Bay 4,071 215,789Rumphi 4,769 172,034

Southern 31,753 5,858,035Balaka 2,193 317,324Blantyre (rural) 1,792 340,728Blantyre (city) 220 661,256Chikwawa 4,755 434,648Chiradzulu 767 288,546Machinga 3,771 490,579Mangochi 6,273 797,061Mulanje 2,056 521,391Mwanza 826 92,947Neno 1,469 107,317Nsanje 1,942 238,103Phalombe 1,394 313,129Thyolo 1,715 587,053Zomba (rural) 2,541 579,639Zomba (city) 39 88,314

TOTAL LAND AREA 94,276INLAND WATER 24,208TOTAL 118,484 13,077,160

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National economyBudget (2012–13)6. Revenue: MK 473,000,000,000 (tax revenue 56.9%,grants 37.2%, nontax revenue 5.9%). Expenditures: MK 489,000,000,000 (goods and services 29.4%, develop-ment expenditure 21.3%, wages and salaries 19.8%, inter-est payments 6.7%).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2014): U.S.$1,364,198,000.Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,

forestry, fishing (2014): cassava 4,910,810, potatoes4,668,670, corn (maize) 3,929,000, sugarcane 2,884,780,bananas 386,3458, plantains 372,7408, peanuts (groundnuts)352,000, pigeon peas 287,9838, dry beans 194,780, tobaccoleaves 132,8498, rice 131,000, mangoes, mangosteens, andguavas 122,5608, soybeans 110,000, sorghum 92,000, cab-bages and other brassicas 82,2978, chickpeas 66,160; live-stock (number of live animals) 5,500,000 goats, 2,800,000 pigs,1,305,000 cattle; roundwood 7,060,730 cu m, of which fuelwood 80%;fisheries production 120,871 (from aquaculture 4%). Mining and quar-rying (2013): limestone 190,000; gemstones (including rubies and sap-phires) 310,000 kg. Manufacturing (value added in U.S.$’000,000;2012): food and beverages 138; tobacco products 59; chemicals andchemical products 30. Energy production (consumption): electricity(kW-hr; 2012) 1,666,000,000 (1,409,000,000), by source: fossil fuels12.8%; renewable energy 87.2%, of which hydroelectric 87.2%; hardcoal (metric tons; 2012) 54,000 ([2011] 63,000); petroleum products(metric tons; 2011) none (300,000).

Population economically active (2014): total 7,160,000; participationrates (2013): age 15 and over, male 75.1%; female 74.3%; unemployed6.4%, of which youth (ages 15–24) 8.6%.

Average household size (2008): 4.6.Gross national income (GNI; 2015): U.S.$5,962,000,000 (U.S.$350 percapita); purchasing power parity GNI (U.S.$1,140 per capita).

Land use as % of total land area (2011): in temporary crops or left fal-low 36.8%, in permanent crops 1.4%, in pasture 19.6%, forest area34.0%.

Foreign trade11

Imports (2013): U.S.$2,825,000,000 (chemicals andchemical products 26.5%, of which fertilizers12.1%; mineral products 17.9%; machinery andelectrical equipment 12.7%; transport equipment6.8%). Major import sources:

Exports (2013): U.S.$2,825,000,000 (tobacco 46.6%;vegetables and vegetable products 19.3%; uraniumand thorium 11.3%; sugars 9.4%; oilseed 6.6%). Major export destinations:

Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads (2010): route length (2014)

477 mi, 767 km; passenger-km 35,950,000;metric ton-km cargo 43,990,000. Roads(2011): total length 9,600 mi, 15,450 km(paved 45%). Vehicles (2007): passengercars 53,300; trucks and buses 66,300.

Education and healthLiteracy (2015): percentage of total populationage 15 and over literate 65.8%; males literate73.0%; females literate 58.6%.

Health: physicians (2008) 260 (1 per 56,246 per-sons); hospital beds (2007) 15,658 (1 per 909persons); infant mortality rate (2015–16) 42.0;undernourished population (2006–08) 3,900,000(27% of total population based on the con-sumption of a minimum daily requirement of1,700 calories).

MilitaryTotal active duty personnel (November 2015):

5,300 (army 100%). Military expenditure aspercentage of GDP (2015): 0.6%; per capitaexpenditure U.S.$2.

1No official language is stated in the constitution. English is the official language of instruction.2Dziko la Malawi in Chewa, the principal national language. 3Judiciary meets in Blantyre. 4Basedon land area. 5Final de facto results. 6Preliminary. 7At constant prices of 2005. 82013. 9Taxes less sub-sidies and less imputed bank service charges. 10Detail does not add to total given because of round-ing. 11Imports c.i.f.; exports f.o.b. 12Subscribers.

Internet resources for further information:• National Statistical Office www.nsomalawi.mw• Reserve Bank of Malawi www.rbm.mw

Structure of gross domestic product and labour force2010 2015

in value % of total labour % of labourMK ’000,0007 value7 force force

Agriculture 160,926 34.1 5,685,000 76.7Mining 6,207 1.3Manufacturing 35,410 7.5Construction 21,328 4.5Public utilities 6,634 1.4Transp. and commun. 34,043 7.2 1,727,000 23.3Trade, hotels 72,938 15.5Finance, real estate 57,074 12.1Public administration 12,900 2.7Services 48,721 10.3Other 15,6069 3.39

TOTAL 471,78610 100.010 7,412,000 100.0

Communications units unitsnumber per 1,000 number per 1,000

Medium date in ’000s persons Medium date in ’000s persons

TelephonesCellular 2015 6,11612 35312

Landline 2015 45 2.6

Internet users 2009 716 47Broadband 2015 5.612 —12

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