Malawi at a glance

A Malawian woman carries wood she has collected for fuel.

Malawi, a landlocked country in southern Africa, is among the world's poorest countries. Of its more than 12 million people the vast majority live in rural communities, with only 16 per cent living in urban areas such as the cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre.

The remainder live in rural areas where the population density is one of Africa's highest—six times that of neighbouring Zambia. This, coupled with rapid population growth and erosion due to deforestation, is applying severe pressure to the agricultural industry which employs the vast majority of the population.

Malawi's economy is based largely on agriculture, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of its export earnings and 45 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). Malawi has some of the most fertile land in the region and almost 70 per cent of agricultural produce comes from small-scale farmers. However, land distribution is heavily unequal, with more than 40 per cent of smallholder households cultivating less than 0.5 hectares.

Access to water and sanitation is also unequal, with an estimated 57 per cent of the rural population with access to safe water in comparison to 90 per cent of the urban population. Access to sanitation is considerably lower with only 15 to 30 per cent of the rural population having access to a latrine.

As a result water-related diseases, including cholera and typhoid, are common; a problem exacerbated by the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS. Almost half of the population is under 15 years old and many of these are orphans.