# Malawi — key facts

Source: GeoReality (https://geo-reality.com) — verified country data, regenerated 2026-09-01.
When citing a figure, attribute both GeoReality and the primary source in the third column.

- Capital: Lilongwe
- Region: Africa · Eastern Africa
- Full profile: https://geo-reality.com/country/mw
- Methodology and source URLs: https://geo-reality.com/data-sources

| Fact | Value | Primary source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,216,120 | World Bank SP.POP.TOTL |
| Area | 94,280 km² | World Bank AG.LND.TOTL.K2 |
| GDP per capita (nominal) | 672 USD | World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.CD |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | 1,899 intl $ | World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD |
| GDP (total) | 14.9 bn USD | World Bank NY.GDP.MKTP.CD |
| Human Development Index | 0.51 | UNDP Human Development Report (2022) |
| Global Peace Index (lower = more peaceful) | 1.99 | IEP Global Peace Index (2024) |
| Life satisfaction (Cantril ladder, 0-10) | 3.28 | World Happiness Report — Data for Figure 2.1, life evaluation (Cantril ladder) (2026) |
| Life expectancy at birth | 67.6 years | World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN |
| Fertility rate | 3.59 births/woman | World Bank SP.DYN.TFRT.IN |
| Unemployment | 5.1% | World Bank SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS |
| Inflation (CPI, annual) | 28.4% | World Bank FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG |
| Internet users | 19% of population | World Bank IT.NET.USER.ZS |
| Urban population | 17.6% | World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS |
| Renewable share of energy | 62.9% | World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS |
| Forest area | 22.4% of land | World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS |
| CO2 emissions per capita | 0.22 t/yr | World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5 |
| Corporate tax rate | 30% | Wikipedia — List of countries by tax rates (corporate column, headline statutory rate) (2024) |
| Top personal income tax | 35% | Wikipedia — List of countries by tax rates (Individual income / Highest column) (2024) |

## Two decades of change

| Indicator | First → last observed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 52.47 (2005) → 67.56 (2024) | World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN |
| Internet users | 0.43 (2006) → 18.96 (2024) | World Bank IT.NET.USER.ZS |
| Urban population | 15.18 (2006) → 17.59 (2025) | World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS |
| Births per woman | 5.85 (2005) → 3.59 (2024) | World Bank SP.DYN.TFRT.IN |
| Renewable share of energy | 82.4 (2004) → 62.9 (2022) | World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS |
| Access to electricity | 6.6 (2005) → 15.6 (2024) | World Bank EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS |
| Infant mortality | 65.1 (2005) → 38 (2024) | World Bank SP.DYN.IMRT.IN |
| CO2 emissions per person | 0.28 (2005) → 0.22 (2024) | World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5 |
| Forest area | 30.9 (2004) → 22.44 (2023) | World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS |

Context across all countries: https://geo-reality.com/changed

## Human Development Index, 1990–2022

Source: UNDP Human Development Report, composite indices complete time series (2023-24). Annual values as published, none interpolated.

| Year | HDI |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.299 |
| 1991 | 0.303 |
| 1992 | 0.310 |
| 1993 | 0.316 |
| 1994 | 0.317 |
| 1995 | 0.362 |
| 1996 | 0.365 |
| 1997 | 0.367 |
| 1998 | 0.369 |
| 1999 | 0.376 |
| 2000 | 0.378 |
| 2001 | 0.386 |
| 2002 | 0.394 |
| 2003 | 0.402 |
| 2004 | 0.410 |
| 2005 | 0.417 |
| 2006 | 0.426 |
| 2007 | 0.433 |
| 2008 | 0.442 |
| 2009 | 0.452 |
| 2010 | 0.461 |
| 2011 | 0.469 |
| 2012 | 0.476 |
| 2013 | 0.484 |
| 2014 | 0.493 |
| 2015 | 0.498 |
| 2016 | 0.501 |
| 2017 | 0.506 |
| 2018 | 0.509 |
| 2019 | 0.514 |
| 2020 | 0.512 |
| 2021 | 0.509 |
| 2022 | 0.508 |

Chart: https://geo-reality.com/country/mw#hdi-history

Vintages marked "varies" are the most recent value the source publishes per country; the profile page states the exact year per figure.