Malawi Demographics

Population of Malawi (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Malawi

Malawi Population
22,785,535
see live
Yearly Change
+2.56%
Global Share
0.27%
Global Rank
62

Median Age

The median age in Malawi is 18.4 years (2026).

Fertility in Malawi

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
3.45
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Malawi

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
67.9
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
71.1
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
64.6
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Malawi


Infant Mortality
27.6
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
36.7
(per 1,000 live births)


Malawi Urban Population

Currently, 18.0% of the population of Malawi is urban (4,090,874 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Malawi is 242 people per km² (627 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 94,080 km² (36,324 sq. miles).

Largest Cities, Towns and Urban Localities in Malawi

The 30 largest of 31 cities, towns and urban localities, ranked by population at the census of September 3, 2018 (by National Statistical Office of Malawi).

RankCity, Town or Urban LocalityPopulation
1Lilongwe989,318
2Blantyre800,264
3Mzuzu221,272
4Zomba105,013
5Karonga61,609
6Kasungu58,653
7Mangochi53,498
8Salima36,789
9Liwonde36,421
10Balaka36,308
11Dedza30,928
12Nkhotakota28,350
13Mchinji28,011
14Nsanje26,844
15Mzimba26,096
16Mponela24,543
17Rumphi22,358
18Ntcheu21,241
19Mwanza18,039
20Chitipa17,743
21Monkey Bay14,955
22Mulanje14,782
23Nkhata Bay14,274
24Luchenza12,600
25Ntchisi9,357
26Thyolo7,843
27Dowa7,135
28Ngabu7,032
29Chipoka6,395
30Phalombe6,242
See all 31 cities, towns and urban localities in Malawi

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.