Key facts about Malawi
Malawi has a population of about 22.2 million (2025), and its capital is Lilongwe.
In 2025, the population grew by 2.6%, and 17.6% of people lived in urban areas. The currency is the Malawian kwacha (MWK), and the official languages are Chewa, English and Tumbuka.
In Malawi, standard time is UTC+02:00, traffic drives on the left and the international calling code is +265.
Malawi's gross domestic product (GDP) was $14.9 billion in 2025, or $672 per person. It exported $1.6 billion and imported $4.3 billion of goods and services in 2025, so trade equaled 39% of GDP.
| Capital | Lilongwe |
|---|---|
| Population (2025) | 22,216,120 |
| Land area (2024) | 94,280 km² (36,402 sq mi) |
| Currency | Malawian kwacha (MWK) |
| Official languages | Chewa, English, Tumbuka |
| Time zone (standard) | UTC+02:00 |
| Calling code | +265 |
| Internet domain | .mw |
| Drives on the | left |
| GDP (2025) | $14.9 billion |
| GDP per person (2025) | $672 |
Malawi's GDP grew from $7.9 billion in 2016 to $14.9 billion in 2025, while the population went from 17,557,739 to 22,216,120. The largest one-year rise was in 2025, up 31.9%. Divided by population, that is about $451 per person in 2016 and $672 in 2025.
Show the numbers
| Year | GDP (current US$) | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $14.92 billion | 22,216,120 |
| 2024 | $11.31 billion | 21,655,286 |
| 2023 | $13.36 billion | 21,104,482 |
| 2022 | $12.43 billion | 20,568,728 |
| 2021 | $12.38 billion | 20,047,258 |
| 2020 | $11.77 billion | 19,533,888 |
| 2019 | $11.05 billion | 19,025,752 |
| 2018 | $9.879 billion | 18,528,081 |
| 2017 | $8.944 billion | 18,039,715 |
| 2016 | $7.91 billion | 17,557,739 |