Malawi

All demographic indicators on this page are based on UN mid 2025 estimates unless stated otherwise.

Malawi population (live estimate)

Real-time estimate based on UN demographic growth models.

22,216,000

Annual growth: 2.536%.

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Official population estimates

World population
22,216,000
Median age
18.1
Population growth rate (%)
2.536 ▲ Population is growing

This map shows first-level administrative regions (ADM1).

Key Facts

  • Capital: Lilongwe
  • Official language: English
  • Region: Eastern Africa
  • Continent: Africa

Languages

A brief overview of the linguistic situation in the country.

Official language
Chichewa, English
Minority language
2
Working / administrative language
1

Chichewa (Chewa) is the national language of Malawi and widely spoken across the country. Other significant languages include Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, and Nyanja. English is an official language and plays a major role in education and government.

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Religions

A brief overview of the religious composition of the country.

Dominant religion
Christianity
Largest share
87.4%
Number of religions
7

Malawi has a young and rapidly growing population, with strong rural communities and emerging urban centers in Lilongwe, Blantyre, and Mzuzu. Regional linguistic distributions are tied to ethnic identities, and bilingualism in Chichewa and English is common.

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Cities

A brief overview of the major cities and urban structure of the country.

Largest city
Lilongwe
Number of cities
8

The cities shown here represent major urban centres with populations over 50,000, as defined by the UN Degree of Urbanisation (DEGURBA) methodology. Smaller towns and rural settlements are not included.

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