Malawi

Africa · Eastern Africa · capital Lilongwe

About Malawi

The capital of Malawi is Lilongwe. Lilongwe is the seat of national government for Malawi, a country in Eastern Africa.

Malawi has a population of about 21.1 million people, the 62nd largest population in the world. Population figures come from World Bank estimates.

Malawi covers 118,484 square kilometers (45,747 square miles), making Malawi the 100th largest country in the world by area.

Malawi borders 3 countries: Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia.

Life expectancy at birth in Malawi is 67.4 years, the 169th highest of any country in the world.

Malawi is in Africa, in the Eastern Africa region. Malawi is one of 58 countries and territories in Africa.

Data updated April 1, 2026

Statistics and world rankings for Malawi
Populationtotal people	21.1Mpeople	62nd
Land Areatotal km²	118.5Kkm²	100th
GDP per PersonUSD per person	$633.21	204th
Total GDPUSD · whole economy	$13.4B	146th
Life Expectancyyears, at birth	67.4years	169th
Urban Population% living in cities	17.0%	214th
Internet Users% of people online	18.0%	184th
Fertility Ratechildren per woman	3.65births/woman	39th
Tourist Arrivalsvisitors per year	no data
Forest Cover% of land forested	22.9%	125th
Unemployment Rate% of labor force	5.0%	100th
Military Spending% of GDP	1.2%of GDP	108th
Renewable Energy% of energy use	62.9%	33rd
Inflation Rateannual CPI change	28.8%	15th
Beer Consumptionliters per year	no data
Coffee Consumptionkg per year	no data
Wine Consumptionliters per year	no data
Education Spending% of GDP	2.7%of GDP	151st
Health Spending% of GDP	6.5%of GDP	96th
Arable Land% of land arable	42.4%	11th
Foreign Direct InvestmentUSD inflow/year	$759.8M	101st

ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 MW · alpha-3 MWI · Eastern Africa