Malawi (Republic of Malawi)

Malawi Republic of Malawi
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	170th 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

---

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	25.2
2	Norway	28.2
3	Netherlands	30.1
	...
167	Cameroon	116.0
168	Laos	117.2
169	Ethiopia	117.2
170	Malawi	117.5
171	Niger	117.8
172	Sierra Leone	117.8
173	Syria	118.6
174	Burundi	118.9
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.4
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 Datasets:

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
14=	Togo	05.4
16=	Ivory Coast	05.6
16=	Malawi	05.6
16=	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 Datasets:

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	Cape Verde	66.3
2	S. Africa	70.7
3	Mauritius	74.9
	...
39	Nigeria	128.6
40	Burundi	129.3
41	Djibouti	129.7
42	Malawi	131.6
43	S. Sudan	131.7
44	Guinea	135.7
45	Libya	135.9
46	Ethiopia	136.3
47	Cameroon	139.3
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
170	Nigeria	128.6
171	Burundi	129.3
172	Djibouti	129.7
173	Malawi	131.6
174	S. Sudan	131.7
175	Palestine	132.1
176	UAE	133.5
177	Guinea	135.7
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₉.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting 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 The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

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

Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets:

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 in the 2020s Lower is better21
Pos.		Total Per 100021
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
66=	Niger	4.60
67=	Trinidad & Tobago	4.70
67=	Panama	4.70
69	Malawi	4.90
70=	Zimbabwe	5.00
70=	Cambodia	5.00
70=	Kenya	5.00
70=	Brazil	5.00
	Africa Avg	6.90
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

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
86=	Peru	3.0
86=	Paraguay	3.0
86=	Malawi	3.0
86=	Moldova	3.0
86=	Montenegro	3.0
86=	Macedonia	3.0
86=	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
125=	Sri Lanka	13
125=	Malawi	13
125=	Zambia	13
125=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	13
125=	Ivory Coast	13
125=	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 Datasets:

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
135=	Uganda	1962
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice Datasets:

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better27
Pos.		Total Score27
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
198	Algeria	-7.08
199	Afghanistan	-7.17
200	Guinea	-7.48
201	Malawi	-7.52
202	Burundi	-7.54
203	S. Sudan	-7.57
204=	Brunei	-7.63
204=	Iraq	-7.63
	Africa Avg	-3.78
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215.

In Malawi, male homosexuality was criminalized in 1891 under colonial law, and is punishable with 14 years in prison. In 2011, female homosexuality was made subject to 5 years in prison. Same-sex marriage and civil partnerships are banned and LGBT people face exclusion in the military. Public 'morality laws' are used to harass LGBT folk. ; for example in 2010 (Monjeza & Chimbalanga case), 2012–2016 (moratorium on arrests, later lifted).

Actions taken at the United Nations:

•  ⇣  Voted against the 2016 UN Human Rights Council Resolution 32/2 to create the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better28
Pos.		202128
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
127=	Italy	3.3
127=	Macedonia	3.3
127=	Liberia	3.3
127=	Malawi	3.3
127=	Madagascar	3.3
132=	Burundi	3.5
132=	Guinea	3.5
132=	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	Mauritius	72.2
2	Tunisia	80.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
33	Cameroon	131.8
34	Congo, DR	133.9
35	Uganda	134.4
36	Malawi	135.3
37	Zambia	135.5
38	Madagascar	135.6
39	Sudan	135.8
40	Chad	137.3
41	Burkina Faso	138.1
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
178	Yemen	133.5
179	Congo, DR	133.9
180	Uganda	134.4
181	Malawi	135.3
182	Zambia	135.5
183	Madagascar	135.6
184	Sudan	135.8
185	Kiribati	136.8
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₀.

36 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, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₀.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Malawi has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Malawi does better than average for the prevalence of overweight adults₃₁, its smoking rate₃₂ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₃. But that's it. Malawi has problems. It does worse than average when it comes to its immunizations take-up₃₄ (still good for Africa), its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅, childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₆, its average life expectancy₁₁ and in its fertility rate₁₄. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its adolescent birth rate₃₇. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during 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 better33
Pos.		2016 Per Capita33
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 in the 2020s Lower is better32
Pos.		Total %32
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
29	Mauritania	9.5%
30	Swaziland	9.5%
31	Jamaica	9.7%
32	Malawi	9.7%
33	Ecuador	10.2%
34=	Gambia	10.5%
34=	Dominican Rep.	10.5%
36	Kenya	10.7%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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 better31
Pos.		1976 %31
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
21=	Eritrea	8.1
22	Chad	8.2
23	Mozambique	8.3
24	Malawi	8.4
25=	Angola	8.5
25=	Pakistan	8.5
27	Kenya	8.8
28=	Guinea-Bissau	8.9
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better38
Pos.		2022 %38
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
12	Chad	5.7%
13	Congo, DR	5.8%
14	Burkina Faso	6.1%
15	Malawi	6.4%
16	Sierra Leone	6.5%
17	Nepal	6.6%
18	S. Korea	6.7%
19	Uganda	6.9%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better37
Pos.		2022 Per 100037
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 better34
Pos.		2015 Avg %34
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
109=	Barbados	92.1
110=	Ghana	91.7
110=	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.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better36
Pos.		Total Per 100036
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
158	Tanzania	56.34
159	Uganda	58.61
160	Kiribati	58.77
161	Malawi	60.75
162	Swaziland	60.78
163	Gambia	61.12
164	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	62.21
165	Zambia	63.61
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

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)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
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)39
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank39
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.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₀. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? 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).

Malawi comes 79th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is calculated from 21 data sets. Malawi comes in the best 20 in energy to GDP efficiency₄₁. It does better than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₂ (but bad for Africa) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. Malawi still has work to do. Malawi does worse than average for its environmental performance₄₃ (still high for Africa). And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₅.

Environmental Performance Higher is better43
Pos.		201843
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 better41
Pos.		2022 Avg41
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 better44
Pos.		2011 %44
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 better42
Pos.		2021 kg42
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.₄₂

7. Malawi's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #it_security #malawi #metric #modernity #sweden #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	S. Africa	58.2
2	Tunisia	63.4
3	Seychelles	64.9
	...
37	Guinea-Bissau	131.7
38	Sao Tome & Principe	133.0
39	Niger	133.3
40	Malawi	133.9
41	Ethiopia	136.9
42	Sudan	139.4
43	Congo, DR	139.9
44	Angola	140.6
45	Mozambique	141.4
	Africa Avg	119.28
q=54.

Modernity & Learning (2025)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
168	Sao Tome & Principe	133.0
169	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	133.3
170	Niger	133.3
171	Malawi	133.9
172	Ethiopia	136.9
173	Puerto Rico	137.1
174	Sudan	139.4
175	Congo, DR	139.9
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

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 The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₄₇. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“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)₄₉

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, 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 Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

For more, see:

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

Modernity Datasets:

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better50
Pos.		2025 %50
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
101=	Iraq	90
101=	Madagascar	90
101=	Dominica	90
101=	Malawi	90
101=	Iran	90
101=	Haiti	90
101=	Mali	90
101=	Bahrain	90
	Africa Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187.

Adopted metric in 1969. Progression:

• 1960 (40%): Colonial mix; science metric.
• 1970 (60%): Metrication in government/education.
• 1980 (80%): Commerce largely metric; rural legacy persists.
• 2000 (85%).
• 2025 (90%): High metric usage.

IQ Higher is better51
Pos.		200651
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
115=	Rwanda	70
115=	Benin	70
117=	Ivory Coast	69
117=	Malawi	69
117=	Niger	69
117=	Mali	69
117=	Burundi	69
117=	Nigeria	69
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Education Datasets:

In the 1990s, Malawi increased its expected duration of education by almost 6 years, substantially more than any other country except Sweden.₅₂

Secondary Education Higher is better53
Pos.		201853
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
150	Afghanistan	26.1%
151	Myanmar	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 better54
Pos.		2021 Years54
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.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better55
Pos.		201655
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 better56
Pos.		201356
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 #charity #corruption #economics #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #namibia #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better57
Pos.		2022 %57
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
68=	Slovenia	39.0
68=	Burkina Faso	39.0
68=	Tajikistan	39.0
68=	Peru	39.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better58
Pos.		2022 Points58
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
109=	Thailand	36.0
110=	Gambia	34.0
110=	Sierra Leone	34.0
110=	Malawi	34.0
110=	Indonesia	34.0
110=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	34.0
110=	Nepal	34.0
116=	Ukraine	33.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better59
Pos.		2024 Score59
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 better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better60
Pos.		Total Q60
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
115	Lesotho	77.5
116	Kazakhstan	75.7
117	Swaziland	74.8
118	Malawi	73.8
119	Kenya	72.8
120	Indonesia	72.5
121	Tanzania	71.8
122=	Dominican Rep.	70.5
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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 Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better61
Pos.		2023 Score61
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 better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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 better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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 better62
Pos.		2019 Score62
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 Datasets:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better63
Pos.		201963
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 better64
Pos.		2023 %64
1	Slovakia	24.1%65
2	Slovenia	24.3%65
3	Belarus	24.4%66
	...
105=	Israel	37.9%65
105=	Togo	37.9%65
107	Gabon	38.0%67
108	Malawi	38.5%68
109=	Samoa	38.7%69
109=	Kenya	38.7%65
111=	El Salvador	38.8%70
111=	Gambia	38.8%66
	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 better71
Pos.		2018 Severity71
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

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₇₂:

	2010	2020
Christian	86.9%	87.4%
Muslim	11.6%	11.6%
Unaffiliated	0.973%	0.941%
Other	0.404%	<0.1%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Christian 82.7%, Muslim 13%, other 1.9%, none 2.5% (1998 census)₇₃.

Links:

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