Page last updated on February 5, 2013
Nationality:
noun: Malawian(s)
adjective:
Malawian
Ethnic groups:
Chewa 32.6%, Lomwe 17.6%, Yao 13.5%, Ngoni 11.5%, Tumbuka 8.8%, Nyanja 5.8%, Sena 3.6%, Tonga 2.1%, Ngonde 1%, other 3.5%
Languages:
Chichewa (official) 57.2%, Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)
Religions:
Christian 82.7%, Muslim 13%, other 1.9%, none 2.5% (1998 census)
Population:
16,323,044 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
note:
estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.9% (male 3,670,266/female 3,654,732)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years:
20.5% (male 1,674,005/female 1,677,633)
25-54 years:
28.3% (male 2,338,827/female 2,286,314)
55-64 years:
3.6% (male 262,678/female 319,617)
65 years and over:
2.7% (male 187,461/female 251,511) (2012 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.3 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male:
17.2 years
female:
17.4 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.758% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
40.42 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
12.84 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 20% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization:
5.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
Blantyre 856,000; LILONGWE (capital) 821,000 (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years:
1 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.74 male(s)/female
total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
460 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 22
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 79.02 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 10
male:
83.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
74.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.31 years
country comparison to the world: 209
male:
51.5 years
female:
53.13 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.35 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Health expenditures:
4.8% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 141
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]
Physicians density:
0.019 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Hospital bed density:
1.1 beds/1,000 population (2007)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 51% of population
rural: 57% of population
total: 56% of population
unimproved:
