What every visitor should know about Malawi:

Money
The currency is the Malawian kwacha (MWK). 100 MWK is worth about US$0.70, or €0.48.
Crime
CrimeSafe Travel Score™: 2.5 out of 5 (Use caution)

Areas of concern:

  • Mugging
  • Armed robbery is rare but occurs
  • Carjacking
Capital
Lilongwe
Tap water
Very dangerous. Water-borne disease is widespread and purification is unreliable. Drink boiled or bottled water only.

Malawi facts and figures:

People

Population
14,268,711
Language
Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)
Ethnicity
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European

Economy

GDP
US$800 (per capita)
Income equality
High
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