Malawi Flag

Malawi

Capital:
Lilongwe
Continent:
Africa
Largest Cities:
Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu
Abbreviation:
MWI

22.2M
Total Population
62
Population Rank
235.64
Density (km²)
560.8K 2.61%
Annual Population Growth

Population of Malawi

Malawi's population structure shows a slightly lower male to female ratio of 0.95 to 1, with a median male age of 18.35 years old and a median female age of 19.34 years old. The highest concentration of adults under 75 years old is in the 18 and 19 year-old age groups, while the lowest concentration is in the 74 and 73 year-old age groups.

Malawi Population

Data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

Malawi Population Clock

Malawi Population*
22,003,253
Births per Day
1,876
Deaths per Day
319
Emigrations per Day
15
Net Change per Day
1,542
2025 Population Change*
66,306

* As of 2/12/2025

1 birth

Every 46.1 seconds

1 death

Every 4.5 minutes

1 emigrant

Every 1.6 hours

1 person

Every 56.0 seconds

Population by City

City
2025 Pop.
Lilongwe646,750
Blantyre584,877
Mzuzu175,345

Malawi Overview

Malawi Demographics

Malawi has several ethnic groups, including the Chewa, Nyanja, Yao, Tumbuka, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, and Ngonde. There are sizable populations of Europeans and Asians. The official language is Chichewa, spoken by 57% of the population although English, Chinyanja, Chiyao, and Chitumbuka are spoken by a large percentage of people. There are also several native languages, such as Malawian Lomwe, Kokola, Lambya, Ndali, and Nyakyusa-Ngonde.

Malawi Religion, Economy and Politics

The main religions are Christianity and Islam. There are no accurate estimates on the religious affiliation of Malawi’s population, but it is estimated that 68% of the country is Christian while 25% is Muslim.

Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world with an economy centered on agriculture and a population that is mostly rural. The government depends a great deal of outside aid. There is a low life expectancy in Malawi with a high infant mortality rate and a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS (12% of the population).

Malawi Population History

What we now know as Malawi was formed by various indigenous tribes to create what was then the “Kingdom of Maravi” in the 1500s. In the late 1800s, a Scottish explorer identified the land as something he wanted, developed a trade route to the country via a river, and the country came under British rule before the turn of the 20th century. The indigenous people revolted against the British and formed their own Congress by the 1950s. By the 60s, Malawi declared independence with a leader named Banda, who declared himself president for life.

Between 2002-2005, drought caused widespread death of crops that affected both the economy, food, and water supply. However, this didn’t have a dramatic effect on the rate of population growth, which has stayed around 3% annually since 2000.