Malawi
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Malawi.
CIA 2026
Matchup file
Malawi vs Zambia
111 shared metrics.
Turn the comparison into a round
Think you can spot the next winner?
Zambia leads by 39 metrics. Use the same instinct in a quick real-data brawl.
Country briefing
What matters for both sides
Short real-world notes so the comparison reads like more than a stat strip.
Zambia
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Zambia.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
Zambia shares Victoria Falls, the world's largest curtain of falling water, with Zimbabwe.
Analysis
Zambia leads in 75 of 111 shared metrics, while Malawi leads in 36.
Malawi's Population Density is 7.0x that of Zambia (223.85 /km² vs 27.88 /km²).
Malawi's Water Stress (%) is 3.3x that of Zambia (8.4% vs 2.0%).
Malawi's Official Languages Count is 2.0x that of Zambia (3.0 vs 1.0).
Malawi's UNESCO World Heritage Sites is 2.0x that of Zambia (3.0 sites vs 1.0 sites).
Malawi's EV Chargers per 100,000 People is 1.8x that of Zambia (0.01 per 100k people vs 0.01 per 100k people).
Key Comparisons
Population DensityMalawi leads
Malawi
223.85 /km²
Zambia
27.88 /km²
Water Stress (%)Malawi leads
Malawi
8.4%
Zambia
2.0%
Official Languages CountMalawi leads
Malawi
3.0
Zambia
1.0
UNESCO World Heritage SitesMalawi leads
Malawi
3.0 sites
Zambia
1.0 sites
EV Chargers per 100,000 PeopleMalawi leads
Malawi
0.01 per 100k people
Zambia
0.01 per 100k people
Firms Asked for BribesMalawi leads
Malawi
26.03% of firms
Zambia
9.6% of firms
All Metrics
Population Density
MalawiMalawi
223.85 /km²
Zambia
27.88 /km²
703% higher
Water Stress (%)
MalawiMalawi
8.4%
Zambia
2.0%
329% higher
Official Languages Count
MalawiMalawi
3.0
Zambia
1.0
200% higher
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
MalawiMalawi
3.0 sites
Zambia
1.0 sites
200% higher
EV Chargers per 100,000 People
MalawiMalawi
0.01 per 100k people
Zambia
0.01 per 100k people
180% higher
Firms Asked for Bribes
MalawiMalawi
26.03% of firms
Zambia
9.6% of firms
171% higher
Inflation Rate
MalawiMalawi
32.2%
Zambia
15%
115% higher
Agricultural Land (%)
MalawiMalawi
64.17%
Zambia
32.07%
100% higher
Air Passengers
ZambiaMalawi
3.5K
Zambia
321.7K
99% lower
Forest Area
ZambiaMalawi
21.2K km²
Zambia
442.5K km²
95% lower
Beer Consumption
ZambiaMalawi
0.10 L/person/yr
Zambia
1.2 L/person/yr
92% lower
Electricity Generation
ZambiaMalawi
1.8 TWh
Zambia
19.46 TWh
91% lower
Lowest Elevation
ZambiaMalawi
37 m
Zambia
329 m
89% lower
Land Area
ZambiaMalawi
94.3K km²
Zambia
743.4K km²
87% lower
CO2 Per Capita
ZambiaMalawi
0.09 t/person/yr
Zambia
0.56 t/person/yr
85% lower
Doctors (per 1,000)
ZambiaMalawi
0.05 per 1k
Zambia
0.32 per 1k
84% lower
Electric Generating Capacity
ZambiaMalawi
731.0K kW
Zambia
3.99M kW
82% lower
Firms Making Informal Payments
ZambiaMalawi
15.94% of firms
Zambia
82.97% of firms
81% lower
Credit Card Ownership
ZambiaMalawi
0.45% of adults
Zambia
2.3% of adults
80% lower
Airports
ZambiaMalawi
27
Zambia
123
78% lower
Nurses & Midwives
ZambiaMalawi
0.50 per 1k
Zambia
2.1 per 1k
77% lower
Insufficient Physical Activity
ZambiaMalawi
3.4% of adults
Zambia
14.16% of adults
76% lower
Railway Length
ZambiaMalawi
767 km
Zambia
3.1K km
75% lower
Electricity Access (%)
ZambiaMalawi
15.6%
Zambia
51.1%
69% lower
Exports (% GDP)
ZambiaMalawi
11.24% of GDP
Zambia
34.98% of GDP
68% lower
Forest Coverage (%)
ZambiaMalawi
22.44%
Zambia
59.52%
62% lower
Urban Population (%)
ZambiaMalawi
17.27%
Zambia
45.47%
62% lower
Women in Senior Management
MalawiMalawi
47.74% of managers
Zambia
29.59% of managers
61% higher
Total CO2 Emissions
ZambiaMalawi
4.8 Mt CO2e
Zambia
11.57 Mt CO2e
59% lower
Border Neighbors
ZambiaMalawi
3.0
Zambia
7.0
57% lower
GDP Growth Rate
ZambiaMalawi
1.7%
Zambia
3.8%
56% lower
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
ZambiaMalawi
$1,857.62
Zambia
$4,214.89
56% lower
Meat Consumption per Person
MalawiMalawi
20.34 kg/person/yr
Zambia
13.12 kg/person/yr
55% higher
GDP (Nominal)
ZambiaMalawi
$11,316,411,329.46
Zambia
$25,303,185,342.25
55% lower
Electricity Carbon Intensity
ZambiaMalawi
54.65 gCO2/kWh
Zambia
119.68 gCO2/kWh
54% lower
GNI Per Capita
ZambiaMalawi
$570
Zambia
$1,220
53% lower
Irrigated Land
ZambiaMalawi
740 km²
Zambia
1.6K km²
53% lower
Land Border Length
ZambiaMalawi
2.9K km
Zambia
6.0K km
53% lower
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
ZambiaMalawi
2.3% of GDP
Zambia
4.7% of GDP
51% lower
ATMs per 100,000 Adults
ZambiaMalawi
4.3 per 100k
Zambia
8.5 per 100k
49% lower
Health Spending Per Capita
ZambiaMalawi
$39.66
Zambia
$76.06
48% lower
Political Corruption Index
MalawiMalawi
0.63
Zambia
0.43
47% higher
Internet Users (%)
ZambiaMalawi
18%
Zambia
33%
45% lower
Protected Land (%)
ZambiaMalawi
23.1%
Zambia
41.3%
44% lower
Tobacco Use Prevalence
ZambiaMalawi
8.5% of adults
Zambia
14.6% of adults
42% lower
Women in Parliament (%)
MalawiMalawi
20.73%
Zambia
14.97%
38% higher
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
ZambiaMalawi
69 per 100 people
Zambia
109 per 100 people
37% lower
Solar Electricity Share
ZambiaMalawi
0.55%
Zambia
0.86%
36% lower
Average Weekly Work Hours
ZambiaMalawi
28.03 hrs/week
Zambia
42.91 hrs/week
35% lower
Smoking Rate
ZambiaMalawi
9.7%
Zambia
14.6%
34% lower
Youth Unemployment Rate
ZambiaMalawi
6.9% of youth labor force
Zambia
10.47% of youth labor force
34% lower
Education Spending (% GDP)
ZambiaMalawi
2.7% of GDP
Zambia
4.1% of GDP
33% lower
Elderly Population (%)
MalawiMalawi
2.6%
Zambia
1.9%
33% higher
Obesity Rate
ZambiaMalawi
6.4%
Zambia
9.4%
32% lower
Mobile Money Accounts
ZambiaMalawi
47.4% of adults
Zambia
69.31% of adults
32% lower
Sanitation Access (%)
MalawiMalawi
49.23%
Zambia
37.48%
31% higher
Digital Payments Used
ZambiaMalawi
48.86% of adults
Zambia
71.16% of adults
31% lower
Highest Elevation
MalawiMalawi
3.0K m
Zambia
2.3K m
29% higher
Spirits Consumption
ZambiaMalawi
0.24 L/person/yr
Zambia
0.33 L/person/yr
28% lower
Death Rate
ZambiaMalawi
3.6 per 1k
Zambia
4.9 per 1k
27% lower
Renewable Energy (%)
ZambiaMalawi
62.9%
Zambia
83%
24% lower
Health Spending (% GDP)
MalawiMalawi
6.5% of GDP
Zambia
5.3% of GDP
24% higher
Liberal Democracy Index
MalawiMalawi
0.46
Zambia
0.38
23% higher
Military Spending
ZambiaMalawi
1.0% of GDP
Zambia
1.3% of GDP
23% lower
Government Debt (% GDP)
ZambiaMalawi
55.6% of GDP
Zambia
71.4% of GDP
22% lower
Seafood Consumption per Person
ZambiaMalawi
10.01 kg/person/yr
Zambia
12.68 kg/person/yr
21% lower
Life Evaluation Score
ZambiaMalawi
3.3 pts
Zambia
4.1 pts
20% lower
Tax Revenue (% GDP)
ZambiaMalawi
13.5% of GDP
Zambia
16.78% of GDP
20% lower
Milk Consumption per Person
ZambiaMalawi
8.0 kg/person/yr
Zambia
9.7 kg/person/yr
18% lower
Hypertension Prevalence
ZambiaMalawi
30.3% of adults
Zambia
36.9% of adults
18% lower
Capital Elevation
ZambiaMalawi
1.1K m
Zambia
1.3K m
18% lower
Road Traffic Death Rate
MalawiMalawi
20.2 per 100k
Zambia
17.1 per 100k
18% higher
Unemployment Rate
ZambiaMalawi
5.0%
Zambia
6.0%
15% lower
Child Mortality
ZambiaMalawi
38.3 per 1k births
Zambia
44.7 per 1k births
14% lower
Water Withdrawal
ZambiaMalawi
1.4 B m³
Zambia
1.6 B m³
14% lower
Adult Literacy Rate
ZambiaMalawi
70.15%
Zambia
82.04%
14% lower
Human Development Index
ZambiaMalawi
0.52
Zambia
0.59
13% lower
Imports (% GDP)
MalawiMalawi
31.19% of GDP
Zambia
27.55% of GDP
13% higher
Electoral Democracy Index
MalawiMalawi
0.56
Zambia
0.50
12% higher
High-Tech Exports (%)
MalawiMalawi
1.6%
Zambia
1.5%
12% higher
Informal Employment Share
MalawiMalawi
92.65% of employed people
Zambia
82.73% of employed people
12% higher
Food Waste per Person
MalawiMalawi
132.84 kg/person/yr
Zambia
118.75 kg/person/yr
12% higher
Minimum Paid Vacation Days
ZambiaMalawi
18 days/yr
Zambia
20 days/yr
10% lower
Fertility Rate
ZambiaMalawi
3.3 children/woman
Zambia
3.7 children/woman
9% lower
Corruption Perceptions Index
ZambiaMalawi
34 pts
Zambia
37 pts
8% lower
Armed Forces Personnel
ZambiaMalawi
15.0K
Zambia
16.0K
6% lower
Suicide Rate
MalawiMalawi
7.6 per 100k
Zambia
7.1 per 100k
6% higher
Can Raise Emergency Money
MalawiMalawi
95.15% of adults
Zambia
89.52% of adults
6% higher
Women's Political Empowerment
ZambiaMalawi
0.76
Zambia
0.79
5% lower
Scientific Publications
MalawiMalawi
361.73
Zambia
344.27
5% higher
Birth Rate
ZambiaMalawi
28.04 per 1k
Zambia
29.6 per 1k
5% lower
Infant Mortality
ZambiaMalawi
29.4 per 1k births
Zambia
30.9 per 1k births
5% lower
Firms with Female Top Manager
MalawiMalawi
13.51% of firms
Zambia
12.93% of firms
5% higher
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
ZambiaMalawi
23.7 µg/m³
Zambia
24.31 µg/m³
3% lower
Freedom of Expression Index
ZambiaMalawi
0.75
Zambia
0.78
3% lower
Teen Birth Rate
ZambiaMalawi
113.58 per 1k
Zambia
115.91 per 1k
2% lower
Life Expectancy
MalawiMalawi
67.4 years
Zambia
66.3 years
2% higher
Youth Population (%)
ZambiaMalawi
40.71%
Zambia
41.46%
2% lower
Firms Hit by Power Outages
MalawiMalawi
89.12% of firms
Zambia
87.13% of firms
2% higher
Population
ZambiaMalawi
21.76M
Zambia
22.02M
1% lower
Median Age
MalawiMalawi
17.6 years
Zambia
17.5 years
1% higher
Time Zones Count
MalawiMalawi
2.0 time zones
Zambia
2.0 time zones
equal
Dependency Ratio
ZambiaMalawi
76.34% of working-age pop.
Zambia
76.69% of working-age pop.
equal
Coastline Length
MalawiMalawi
0 km
Zambia
0 km
ranked higher
Coal Electricity Share
ZambiaMalawi
0%
Zambia
10.8%
ranked lower
Wind Electricity Share
MalawiMalawi
0%
Zambia
0%
ranked higher
Broadband Access (%)
MalawiMalawi
202 per 100 people
Zambia
202 per 100 people
equal
Alcohol Consumption
ZambiaMalawi
3.6 L/adult/yr
Zambia
3.6 L/adult/yr
equal
Nobel Laureates Born per Million People
MalawiMalawi
0 per 1M people
Zambia
0 per 1M people
ranked higher
Current Account Balance (% of GDP)
ZambiaMalawi
-16.5% of GDP
Zambia
-3.5% of GDP
ranked lower
McDonald's Outlets per Million People
MalawiMalawi
0 per 1M people
Zambia
0 per 1M people
ranked higher
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