Malawi

Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world’s most densely populated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 80% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture, which has benefited from fertilizer subsidies since 2006, accounts for more than one-third of GDP and 90% of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for more than half of exports. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In 2006, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. In December 2007, the US granted Malawi eligibility status to receive financial support within the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) initiative. The government faces many challenges including developing a market economy, improving educational facilities, facing up to environmental problems, dealing with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS, and satisfying foreign donors that fiscal discipline is being tightened. Since 2005 President MUTHARIKA’S government has exhibited improved financial discipline under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE and signed a three year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility worth $56 million with the IMF. Improved relations with the IMF lead other international donors to resume aid as well. The government has announced infrastructure projects that could yield improvements, such as a new oil pipeline, for better fuel access, and the potential for a waterway link through Mozambican rivers to the ocean, for better transportation options. Since 2009, however, Malawi experienced some setbacks, including a general shortage of foreign exchange, which has damaged its ability to pay for imports, and fuel shortages that hinder transportation and productivity. Investment fell 23% in 2009. The government has failed to address barriers to investment such as unreliable power, water shortages, poor telecommunications infrastructure, and the high costs of services.

$13.51 billion (2010 est.)

$12.69 billion (2009 est.)

$11.79 billion (2008 est.)

$5.035 billion (2010 est.)

6.5% (2010 est.)

7.6% (2009 est.)

9.8% (2008 est.)

$900 (2010 est.)

$800 (2009 est.)

$800 (2008 est.)

5.747 million (2007 est.)

NA%

53% (2004)

39 (2004)

27.7% of GDP (2010 est.)

40.4% of GDP (2010 est.)

44.6% of GDP (2009 est.)

8% (2010 est.)

8.4% (2009 est.)

15% (31 December 2009)

15% (31 December 2008)

25.25% (31 December 2009 est.)

25.28% (31 December 2008 est.)

$626.5 million (31 December 2010 est)

$580.3 million (31 December 2009 est)

$1.434 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.233 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.72 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.515 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$NA (31 December 2009)

$1.771 billion (31 December 2008)

$587.2 million (31 December 2006)

tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses, groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats

tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods

17.3% (2010 est.)

1.69 billion kWh (2007 est.)

1.572 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

8,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

6,960 bbl/day (2007 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

-$315 million (2010 est.)

-$332 million (2009 est.)

$1.189 billion (2010 est.)

$912 million (2009 est.)

tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel

Germany 12.37%, Egypt 8.52%, South Africa 7.67%, Zimbabwe 7.55%, US 7.4%, Russia 6.79%, Netherlands 6.64%, Japan 4.1% (2009)

$1.675 billion (2010 est.)

$1.502 billion (2009 est.)

food, petroleum products, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment

South Africa 40.15%, China 6.79%, India 6.73%, France 5.03%, Tanzania 4.81%, Mozambique 4.03% (2009)

$301 million (31 December 2010 est.)

$163.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.213 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.166 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$NA

$NA

Malawian kwachas (MWK) per US dollar - 151.65 (2010), 141.14 (2009), 142.41 (2008), 141.12 (2007), 135.96 (2006)