Malawi (Republic of Malawi)

Malawi Republic of Malawi
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	157th best
Capital	Lilongwe
Land Area	94 280km21
Location	Africa
Population	18.1m2
Life Expectancy	62.90yrs (2017)3
GNI	$1 466 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	MW, MWI, 4545
Internet Domain	.mw6
Currency	Kwacha (MWK)7
Telephone	+2658

1. Overview
2. Malawi National and Social Development
3. Malawi's Demographics and Migration
4. Malawi's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Malawi's Health
6. Malawi's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Malawi's Modernity and Learning
8. Malawi's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

“Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009. As president, he oversaw some economic improvement in his first term, but was accused of economic mismanagement and poor governance in his second term. He died abruptly in April 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president, Joyce BANDA. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Malawi is firmly back on the map with restocked parks throughout the country, reintroduced lions, world-class safari lodges and excellent tour operators. Malawi has been historically overlooked in the table of epic safari destinations. That was until Majete Wildlife Reserve was thoroughly restocked and a lion reintroduction program began there in 2012. The country now has its `Big Five´ again, added to which are new world-class boutique hotels and luxury safari lodges; it´s easy to see then why travel editors are salivating over Africa´s next big destination.

Slicing through the landscape in a trough formed by the Great Rift Valley is Lake Malawi; a shimmering mass of glittering water swarming with colourful cichlid fish. Whether it´s diving, snorkelling, kayaking or chilling on its desert islands, the lake is unforgettable.

In Malawi´s deep south are the dramatic peaks of Mt Mulanje and Zomba Plateau; both are a trekker´s dream, with mist-cowled forests. Head further north and you´ll witness the beauty of Nyika Plateau, its grasslands reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands. In short, there´s something for everyone here.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Malawi National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
166=	Benin	0.525
166=	Uganda	0.525
168	Lesotho	0.514
169	Malawi	0.512
170	Senegal	0.511
171	Djibouti	0.509
172	Sudan	0.508
173	Madagascar	0.501
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
180	Eritrea	$1 729
181	Sierra Leone	$1 622
182	Madagascar	$1 484
183	Malawi	$1 466
184	Chad	$1 364
185	Yemen	$1 314
186	Liberia	$1 289
187	Niger	$1 240
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
154	Micronesia	112.3
155	Somaliland	112.4
156	Togo	112.4
157	Malawi	112.7
158	Libya	112.9
159	Mali	113.5
160	Ethiopia	114.5
161	Cameroon	114.6
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Malawi's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Malawi's population is predicted to rise to 28.17 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 3.85. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
60	Mali	19.1m
61	Chile	18.7m
62	Kazakhstan	18.3m
63	Malawi	18.1m
64	Zambia	17.4m
65	Guatemala	17.2m
66	Ecuador	17.1m
67	Netherlands	17.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
159	Congo, (Brazzaville)	63.5
160	Comoros	63.4
161	Haiti	63.2
162	Malawi	62.9
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
177	Comoros	3.91
178=	Solomon Islands	3.93
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
14	Somalia	05.4
15=	Togo	05.4
16	Ivory Coast	05.6
17=	Malawi	05.6
17=	Senegal	05.6
19	Yemen	05.7
20=	Cameroon	05.8
20=	Niger	05.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
144	Yemen	1.4%
145	Bolivia	1.3%
146	Tuvalu	1.3%
147	Malawi	1.3%
148	Sierra Leone	1.3%
149	Guinea-Bissau	1.3%
150	Vanuatu	1.2%
151	Ethiopia	1.2%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
164	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.4%
165	Zambia	1.4%
166	Cameroon	1.4%
167	Malawi	1.4%
168	Congo, DR	1.3%
169	N. Korea	1.3%
170	Thailand	1.2%
171	UAE	1.2%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Malawi's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #malawi #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Africa (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Mauritius	63.7
2	S. Africa	64.3
3	Cape Verde	68.0
	...
30	Egypt	118.4
31	Liberia	119.5
32	Algeria	119.6
33	Malawi	122.0
34	Togo	125.1
35	Comoros	126.8
36	Guinea-Bissau	127.3
37	Zimbabwe	129.1
38	Congo, (Brazzaville)	129.5
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
159	Algeria	119.6
160	Uzbekistan	121.1
161	Qatar	121.7
162	Malawi	122.0
163	UAE	122.3
164	Cambodia	122.8
165	Oman	122.9
166	Togo	125.1
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₁₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom Higher is better20
Pos.		202520
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
72	Guyana	60.12
73	Senegal	59.43
74	Comoros	59.27
75	Malawi	59.20
76	Cyprus	59.04
77	Papua New Guinea	58.35
78	Qatar	58.25
79	Albania	58.18
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery Lower is better21
Pos.		2018 % Victims21
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
	...
131	Liberia	0.74
132=	Guinea-Bissau	0.75
132=	Madagascar	0.75
132=	Malawi	0.75
135	Uganda	0.76
136=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.77
136=	Philippines	0.77
136=	Libya	0.77
	Africa Avg	0.96
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better22
Pos.		2014 Rank22
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
103=	Zambia	103
103=	Mozambique	103
103=	Argentina	103
106	Malawi	106
107	Thailand	107
108	Lebanon	108
109	Laos	109
110	Ivory Coast	110
	Africa Avg	114.2
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
86	Liberia	3.0
87=	Peru	3.0
87=	Paraguay	3.0
87=	Malawi	3.0
87=	Moldova	3.0
87=	Montenegro	3.0
87=	Macedonia	3.0
87=	India	3.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better23
Pos.		2009 Treaties23
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
124	Uzbekistan	14
125	Mauritania	13
126=	Sri Lanka	13
126=	Malawi	13
126=	Zambia	13
126=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	13
126=	Ivory Coast	13
126=	Afghanistan	13
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better24
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty24
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
126	Switzerland	11.71
127	Macedonia	11.71
128	Czechia	11.73
129	Malawi	11.77
130	Maldives	11.85
131	Central African Rep.	11.87
132	Thailand	11.89
133	Congo, (Brazzaville)	11.91
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Malawi stated:

“The NGO Amendment Bill was passed into law and threatened to undermine the right to freedom of association. Police used excessive force against peaceful protesters. Journalists, activists and several other people faced arrest and prosecution for social media posts. Parliament rejected a motion to abolish the death penalty.”

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₂₅

Gender Equality:

Malawi is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)
• "Christianity and Women: Biblical Misogyny and Male Dominance" by Vexen Crabtree (2019)

Gender Inequality Lower is better26
Pos.		202226
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
143	Iraq	0.56
144	Madagascar	0.57
145	Togo	0.58
146	Malawi	0.58
147	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.58
148	Gambia	0.59
149	Mauritania	0.60
150	Congo, DR	0.61
	Africa Avg	0.53
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Data starts in 1998, so the 1990s average may be a little skewed due to too few datapoints, but, it does look like in the 1990s, Malawi was amongst the top 10 worst countries in the world for Gender Inequality. However, as data on more countries became available from the 2000s and as its situation slightly improved, its ranking rose in following decades.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
129=	Rwanda	1961
129=	Mauritania	1961
129=	Burundi	1961
129=	Malawi	1961
129=	Paraguay	1961
129=	Sierra Leone	1961
135	Zambia	1962
136=	Uganda	1962
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality Higher is better27
Pos.		2017 Score27
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
159=	Bhutan	-20
159=	Burundi	-20
161	Nigeria	-22
162=	Malawi	-22
162=	Uganda	-22
162=	Oman	-22
162=	Yemen	-22
166	Turkmenistan	-24
	Africa Avg	-10.4
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better28
Pos.		202128
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
127	Italy	3.3
128=	Macedonia	3.3
128=	Liberia	3.3
128=	Malawi	3.3
128=	Madagascar	3.3
132	Burundi	3.5
133=	Guinea	3.5
133=	Equatorial Guinea	3.5
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Malawi's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #malawi #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Tunisia	69.2
2	Mauritius	69.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
37	Ethiopia	151.7
38	Sierra Leone	153.1
39	Liberia	153.5
40	Malawi	154.3
41	Central African Rep.	155.4
42	Mozambique	155.8
43	Zambia	157.1
44	Equatorial Guinea	157.4
45	Burkina Faso	157.5
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
193	Ethiopia	151.7
194	Sierra Leone	153.1
195	Liberia	153.5
196	Malawi	154.3
197	Afghanistan	155.0
198	Central African Rep.	155.4
199	Mozambique	155.8
200	Zambia	157.1
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₃₀.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₀, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₀.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Malawi is a pretty unhealthy country. Malawi comes in the best 20 when it comes to its smoking rate₃₁. It does better than average when it comes to its alcohol consumption rate₃₂. When it comes to most other metrics, Malawi does not do well. It does worse than average when it comes to its immunizations take-up₃₃ (still high for Africa), its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₄, its average life expectancy₁₁ and in its fertility rate₁₄. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of its adolescent birth rate₃₅. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Malawi in 1990 was the fifth lowest in the world, at 43.3yrs, and in 2000, it had the worst in the world. But it improved greatly, by +20.8yrs, in the 30 years from then, well over double the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Malawi's peak fertility rate was 7.57 in 1980.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
159	Congo, (Brazzaville)	63.5
160	Comoros	63.4
161	Haiti	63.2
162	Malawi	62.9
163	Uganda	62.7
164	S. Africa	62.3
165	Djibouti	62.3
166	Gambia	62.1
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better32
Pos.		2016 Per Capita32
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
60=	Tajikistan	3.3
61	Kenya	3.4
62	Mauritius	3.6
63	Malawi	3.7
64=	El Salvador	3.8
64=	Gambia	3.8
64=	Israel	3.8
64=	UAE	3.8
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
177	Comoros	3.91
178=	Solomon Islands	3.93
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better31
Pos.		201431
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
9	Vanuatu	76
10	Guyana	77
11	Suriname	79
12	Malawi	80
13	Tonga	81
14	Mozambique	82
15	Nepal	83
16	Afghanistan	84
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
113	Peru	113
114	Kenya	114
115	Haiti	115
116	Malawi	116
117	Swaziland	117
118	Iran	118
119	Yemen	119
120	Seychelles	120
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better36
Pos.		2016 %36
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
13	Chad	23.1
14	Burkina Faso	23.2
15	Sri Lanka	23.3
16	Malawi	23.4
17	Madagascar	23.9
18	Myanmar (Burma)	24.8
19	Rwanda	25.1
20	Congo, DR	25.3
	Africa Avg	33.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better35
Pos.		2022 Per 100035
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
182	Guinea	112.2
183	Somalia	116.1
184	Zambia	116.1
185	Malawi	117.2
186	Madagascar	118.1
187	Liberia	122.0
188	Tanzania	123.4
189	Chad	135.7
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better33
Pos.		2015 Avg %33
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
109=	Barbados	92.1
110	Ghana	91.7
111=	Lesotho	91.7
112	Malawi	91.7
113	Mexico	91.6
114	Moldova	91.5
115	Iceland	91.5
116	Trinidad & Tobago	91.4
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Malawi was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); things got slightly worse in the 2000s.

6. Malawi's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #malawi #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
24	Swaziland	74.2
25	Chad	74.4
26	Cape Verde	75.6
27	Malawi	76.0
28	Benin	76.5
29	Botswana	76.8
30	Congo, (Brazzaville)	77.6
31	Egypt	78.0
32	Algeria	79.7
	Africa Avg	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)37
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank37
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
76	Afghanistan	75.7
77	New Zealand	75.8
78	Bulgaria	75.8
79	Malawi	76.0
80	Benin	76.5
81	Australia	76.6
82	Botswana	76.8
83	Syria	77.4
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

In terms of its responsibility towards the environment, Malawi ranks 79th in the world. This rank is calculated from 6 data sets. Malawi comes in the best 20 for energy to GDP efficiency₃₈. It does better than average for reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₉ (but high for Africa) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. But, things could still be better. Malawi does worse than average for its environmental performance₄₀ (still high for Africa). And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₁ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₂.

Environmental Performance Higher is better40
Pos.		201840
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
124	Ghana	49.7
125	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49.5
126	Senegal	49.5
127	Malawi	49.2
128	Guyana	47.9
129	Tajikistan	47.9
130	Kenya	47.3
131	Bhutan	47.2
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better38
Pos.		2022 Avg38
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
4	Uganda	0.37
5	Sierra Leone	0.37
6	Malawi	0.37
7	Madagascar	0.38
8	Sri Lanka	0.39
9	Burundi	0.41
10	Central African Rep.	0.41
11	Ethiopia	0.42
12	Afghanistan	0.43
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
87	Indonesia	61%
88	Maldives	61%
89	Bahamas	60%
90	Malawi	60%
91	Monaco	60%
92	Burkina Faso	59%
93	Benin	59%
94	Ireland	59%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better41
Pos.		2011 %41
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
123	Finland	22.9%
124	Congo, DR	22.8%
125	UK	22.6%
126	Malawi	22.0%
127	UAE	20.8%
128	Norway	20.5%
129	Botswana	20.4%
130	USA	19.7%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better39
Pos.		2021 kg39
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
47	Lesotho	21.7
48	Thailand	26.0
49	Swaziland	27.1
50	Malawi	27.4
51	Tunisia	27.8
52	Sao Tome & Principe	28.3
53	Maldives	28.8
54	Egypt	29.1
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, Malawi increased its meat consumption by over 20kgs per person per year, one of only 11 countries to do so, and putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₃₉

7. Malawi's Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #education #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #it_security #life_expectancy #malawi #modernity #morals #namibia #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #sweden #technology #terrorism #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
20	Zambia	116.3
21	Rwanda	123.0
22	Guinea-Bissau	124.4
23	Malawi	125.4
24	Togo	125.8
25	Sao Tome & Principe	126.0
26	Ethiopia	128.3
27	Ivory Coast	132.4
28	Senegal	132.6
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)43
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank43
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
143	Guinea-Bissau	124.4
144	Laos	124.4
145	Iraq	124.6
146	Malawi	125.4
147	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	125.5
148	Vanuatu	125.6
149	Togo	125.8
150	Sao Tome & Principe	126.0
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₄. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₄. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₅.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₆

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₄, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₄.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

In the 1990s, Malawi increased its expected duration of education by almost 6 years, substantially more than any other country except Sweden. ₄₇

Secondary Education Higher is better48
Pos.		201848
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
150	Afghanistan	26.1%
151	Myanmar (Burma)	25.8%
152	Central African Rep.	22.1%
153	Malawi	21.8%
154	Cambodia	21.3%
155	Mozambique	19.3%
156	Mauritania	18.8%
157	Senegal	17.6%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better49
Pos.		2021 Years49
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
117	St Lucia	12.9
118	Libya	12.9
119	Venezuela	12.8
120	Malawi	12.7
121	El Salvador	12.7
122	Nicaragua	12.6
123	Qatar	12.6
124	Maldives	12.6
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
91	Antigua & Barbuda	91
92	Burkina Faso	92
93	Trinidad & Tobago	93
94	Malawi	94
95	Mexico	95
96	Guinea	96
97	St Vincent & Grenadines	97
98	Zimbabwe	98
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

IQ Higher is better50
Pos.		200650
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
115=	Rwanda	70
115=	Benin	70
117	Ivory Coast	69
118=	Malawi	69
118=	Niger	69
118=	Mali	69
118=	Burundi	69
118=	Nigeria	69
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better51
Pos.		201651
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
181=	Togo	7%
181=	Comoros	7%
183	Afghanistan	7%
184	Malawi	7%
185	Mozambique	6%
186	Benin	6%
187	Tanzania	5%
188	Central African Rep.	5%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security Lower is better52
Pos.		201352
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
54	Azerbaijan	1.21
55	Belarus	1.22
56	Armenia	1.22
57	Malawi	1.23
58	Turkmenistan	1.23
59	Kazakhstan	1.23
60	Djibouti	1.29
61	UK	1.34
	Africa Avg	1.07
	World Avg	0.98

8. Malawi's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #namibia #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Africa (2020)53
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank53
1	Mauritius	48.3
2	Sao Tome & Principe	67.7
3	Tunisia	74.9
	...
11	Namibia	87.3
12	Zambia	88.5
13	Cape Verde	90.8
14	Malawi	91.3
15	Ethiopia	92.2
16	Burkina Faso	93.2
17	Tanzania	93.3
18	Sierra Leone	93.4
19	Egypt	93.6
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=53.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)53
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank53
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
114	Bolivia	88.8
115	St Vincent & Grenadines	89.2
116	Cape Verde	90.8
117	Malawi	91.3
118	Nicaragua	92.1
119	Ethiopia	92.2
120	Colombia	92.6
121	Grenada	93.0
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better54
Pos.		2022 %54
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
65=	Hungary	40.0
65=	India	40.0
65=	Cyprus	40.0
68	Malawi	39.0
69=	Slovenia	39.0
69=	Burkina Faso	39.0
69=	Tajikistan	39.0
69=	Peru	39.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better55
Pos.		2022 Points55
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
109	Thailand	36.0
110	Gambia	34.0
111=	Sierra Leone	34.0
111=	Malawi	34.0
111=	Indonesia	34.0
111=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	34.0
111=	Nepal	34.0
116	Ukraine	33.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better56
Pos.		2024 Score56
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
140	Yemen	3.6
141	Congo, DR	3.5
142	Botswana	3.4
143	Zimbabwe	3.4
144	Malawi	3.3
145	Lebanon	3.2
146	Sierra Leone	3.0
147	Afghanistan	1.4
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
139	Azerbaijan	139
140	Paraguay	140
141	Sri Lanka	141
142	Malawi	142
143	Benin	143
144	Cameroon	144
145	Laos	145
146	Nigeria	146
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
108	Mexico	108
109	Thailand	109
110	Ecuador	110
111	Malawi	111
112	Laos	112
113	China	113
114	S. Africa	114
115	Cape Verde	115
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better57
Pos.		2023 Score57
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
71=	Trinidad & Tobago	1.95
71=	Kosovo	1.95
73	Cambodia	1.95
74	Malawi	1.97
75	UAE	1.98
76	Kazakhstan	1.98
77	Jamaica	1.99
78	Bolivia	2.00
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
57	Zambia	57
58	Romania	58
59	Vietnam	59
60	Malawi	60
61	Brazil	61
62	Grenada	62
63	Kenya	63
64	Denmark	64
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better34
Pos.		2017 Rank34
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
66=	Burkina Faso	66
66=	Kyrgyzstan	66
68	Iran	68
69	Malawi	69
70	Latvia	70
71	Guatemala	71
72	Estonia	72
73	Guinea-Bissau	73
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better58
Pos.		2019 Score58
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
44	Jamaica	0.47
45	Poland	0.48
46	Gabon	0.55
47	Malawi	0.66
48	Azerbaijan	0.70
49	Czechia	0.87
50	Denmark	0.96
51	Guinea	0.97
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better59
Pos.		201959
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
149	Yemen	24.70
150	Ethiopia	24.90
151=	Swaziland	25.10
151=	Malawi	25.10
153	Tanzania	25.30
154	Zambia	26.50
155	Uganda	27.20
156	Sudan	27.40
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better60
Pos.		2023 %60
1	Slovakia	24.1%61
2	Slovenia	24.3%61
3	Belarus	24.4%62
	...
105=	Israel	37.9%61
105=	Togo	37.9%61
107	Gabon	38.0%63
108	Malawi	38.5%64
109=	Samoa	38.7%65
109=	Kenya	38.7%61
111	El Salvador	38.8%66
112=	Gambia	38.8%62
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Malawi - only for 5 years between 1980 and 2019. It was measured once in the 1990s, and was 2nd most unequal country of all 117 surveyed throughout that decade; only Namibia was worse.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better67
Pos.		2018 Severity67
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
70	Ivory Coast	.236
71	Yemen	.241
72	Cameroon	.243
73	Malawi	.243
74	Togo	.249
75	Rwanda	.259
76	Mauritania	.261
77	Zambia	.261
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Disbelief In God (2007)68
Pos.		Higher is better %68
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
122=	Niger	0
122=	Saudi Arabia	0
122=	Rwanda	0
122=	Cameroon	0
122=	Philippines	0
122=	Kuwait	0
122=	Madagascar	0
122=	Nigeria	0
122=	Malawi	0
122=	Chad	0
122=	Nepal	0
122=	Morocco	0
122=	Mauritania	0
122=	Mali	0
122=	Senegal	0
122=	Oman	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₆₉:

Christian	82.7%
Muslim	13%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	1.7%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	2.5%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Christian 82.7%, Muslim 13%, other 1.9%, none 2.5% (1998 census)₇₀.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?