Demographic features of the population of Malawi include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Region distribution

Northern region The Tumbuka people make up of 94% of the population of the Northern region. Other groups include the Ngonde, Lambya and Sukwa. The predominant and common language in the region is Chitumbuka, which is also spoken in Central Region of Malawi.

The sub branch of Tonga people are part of the Tumbuka people who relocated in their current territories in the early 19th Century when the Nkhamanga Kingdom started to decline.

Central region

The Chewa ethnic group make up about 65% of the population of the central region. Other ethnic groups found in the region include the Tumbuka and Ngoni, among others. Chichewa is the common language in the region, followed by Chitumbuka in some districts such as Kasungu, Dowa and Nkhotakota.

Southern region The Southern region is made up of the Yao and the Lomwe people. They are both the Bantu groups who came from Mozambique due to wars. The common languages in urban areas such as Blantyre are Chichewa, English and Chitumbuka. In rural areas, Lomwe, Sena and Yao are used, primarily by elder people. Population

YearTotal population (1000)Population percentage aged 0–14 aged 15–64 aged 65+ 19502 88145.751.23.1 19553 16645.751.52.8 19603 52545.951.62.6 19653 97545.352.32.4 19704 53146.351.42.3 19755 30246.950.62.5 19806 24047.150.32.6 19857 26847.550.02.5 19909 38145.951.42.7 19959 88344.752.23.1 200011 22945.851.13.1 200512 82346.150.93.1 201014 90145.851.13.1 Total and percent distribution of population by single year of age (Census 09.03.2018) AgePopulationPercent Total 17,563,749 100 0–4 2,552,406 14.53 0 522,802 2.98 1 509,351 2.90 2 490,811 2.79 3 511,365 2.91 4 518,077 2.95 5–9 2,632,878 14.99 5 529,111 3.01 6 546,708 3.11 7 526,347 3.00 8 532,846 3.03 9 497,866 2.83 10–14 2,533,303 14.42 10 539,264 3.07 11 489,887 2.79 12 517,832 2.95 13 492,122 2.80 14 494,198 2.81 15–19 2,035,945 11.59 15 452,017 2.57 16 339,248 1.93 17 384,682 2.19 18 497,831 2.83 19 362,167 2.06 20–24 1,651,576 9.40 20 357,667 2.04 21 323,511 1.84 22 304,519 1.73 23 330,222 1.88 24 335,657 1.91 25–29 1,229,411 7.00 25 291,198 1.66 26 274,739 1.56 27 213,337 1.21 28 238,630 1.36 29 211,507 1.20 30–34 1,107,226 6.30 30 243,969 1.39 31 209,155 1.19 32 226,360 1.29 33 218,620 1.24 34 209,122 1.19 35–39 968,998 5.52 35 221,078 1.26 36 207,499 1.18 37 165,564 0.94 38 210,252 1.20 39 164,605 0.94 40–44 729,600 4.15 40 168,637 0.96 41 137,967 0.79 42 147,438 0.84 43 151,363 0.86 44 124,195 0.71 45–49 535,868 3.05 45 129,172 0.74 46 121,996 0.69 47 89,576 0.51 48 112,116 0.64 49 83,008 0.47 50–54 387,812 2.21 50 99,632 0.57 51 57,309 0.33 52 63,690 0.36 53 72,671 0.41 54 94,510 0.54 55–59 306,921 1.75 55 69,274 0.39 56 63,914 0.36 57 50,534 0.29 58 75,091 0.43 59 48,108 0.27 60–64 234,918 1.34 60 69,006 0.39 61 38,753 0.22 62 44,264 0.25 63 40,119 0.23 64 42,776 0.24 65–69 240,551 1.37 65 47,861 0.27 66 50,078 0.29 67 35,456 0.20 68 59,659 0.34 69 47,497 0.27 70–74 144,788 0.82 70 39,380 0.22 71 27,618 0.16 72 26,622 0.15 73 31,656 0.18 74 19,512 0.11 75–79 124,718 0.71 75 25,635 0.15 76 28,492 0.16 77 19,096 0.11 78 35,174 0.20 79 16,321 0.09 80–84 63,675 0.36 80 16,846 0.10 81 9,987 0.06 82 12,908 0.07 83 14,208 0.08 84 9,726 0.06 85–89 54,754 0.31 85 12,054 0.07 86 14,628 0.08 87 8,331 0.05 88 15,327 0.09 89 4,414 0.03 90–94 15,130 0.09 90 5,041 0.03 91 2,466 0.01 92 2,746 0.02 93 2,897 0.02 94 1,980 0.01 95+ 13,271 0.08

Age groupPopulationPercent 0-14 7,718,587 43.95 15–64 9,188,275 52.31 65+ 656,887 3.74

UN population projections Numbers are in thousands. UN medium variant projections Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision 2015 17,522 2020 20,677 2025 24,212 2030 28,173 2035 32,667 2040 37,797 2045 43,521 2050 49,719

Vital statistics

United Nations estimates

Registration of vital events is in Malawi not complete. The website Our World in Data prepared the following estimates based on statistics from the Population Department of the United Nations. Mid-year population (thousands)Live births (thousands)Deaths (thousands)Natural change (thousands)Crude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate (TFR)Infant mortality (per 1000 live births)Life expectancy (in years)19502,950,000145,00096,00049,00049.232.516.76.80206.132.7519513,001,000149,00096,00053,00049.631.817.86.81205.832.8119523,056,000153,00096,00057,00050.131.418.66.83204.932.9119533,115,000157,00097,00060,00050.531.219.46.85203.933.1019543,176,000160,00098,00062,00050.430.819.56.79202.933.4019553,240,000165,00099,00066,00050.930.520.56.83201.833.7919563,309,000170,000100,00070,00051.430.221.36.87200.534.2219573,381,000176,000101,00074,00052.030.022.06.91199.334.5219583,457,000181,000103,00078,00052.429.922.66.95197.934.8019593,537,000187,000105,00082,00053.029.823.27.00196.535.0219603,621,000193,000108,00085,00053.329.723.57.03195.235.2019613,708,000199,000110,00089,00053.729.724.07.07193.835.3319623,799,000205,000112,00093,00054.029.524.57.10192.635.6519633,894,000212,000116,00096,00054.329.724.67.13191.835.6219643,990,000216,000118,00098,00054.129.624.47.10191.135.6919654,089,000221,000121,000100,00054.129.624.47.11190.735.7219664,191,000227,000124,000103,00054.229.524.77.16190.135.8719674,296,000233,000127,000107,00054.329.524.87.22189.435.9019684,403,000239,000129,000110,00054.329.425.07.28188.636.0419694,513,000244,000131,000113,00054.129.125.07.29187.736.3219704,625,000249,000133,000117,00053.928.725.27.32186.236.7319714,742,000254,000133,000121,00053.628.125.57.33183.837.2419724,866,000260,000134,000127,00053.527.426.07.35180.637.9019734,996,000266,000134,000132,00053.226.826.57.36176.838.5419745,134,000272,000134,000138,00053.026.026.97.37172.939.2719755,281,000279,000133,000146,00052.925.227.77.40168.640.2219765,438,000287,000132,000155,00052.824.328.57.43164.341.2319775,612,000296,000131,000164,00052.723.429.37.46159.742.2319785,809,000305,000131,000174,00052.622.630.17.48154.943.2919796,029,000315,000132,000184,00052.521.930.67.51149.844.2719806,267,000329,000134,000195,00052.621.431.27.57145.745.0919816,520,000339,000137,000203,00052.321.031.37.54142.145.7019826,784,000351,000141,000210,00051.920.931.17.51140.145.9919837,058,000361,000147,000214,00051.320.930.47.44140.046.0419847,339,000370,000155,000215,00050.721.229.47.36141.645.5819857,625,000382,000164,000218,00050.321.728.77.29143.744.9519867,910,000393,000174,000220,00049.922.027.97.22145.244.3419878,296,000404,000182,000222,00049.522.327.27.15145.543.8119888,755,000423,000198,000225,00048.922.926.07.02144.643.3819899,175,000439,000204,000234,00048.322.525.86.91142.643.3419909,540,000454,000210,000244,00047.822.125.76.81139.943.3219919,832,000467,000213,000253,00047.521.725.86.72136.543.31199210,115,000477,000215,000262,00047.221.325.96.65132.443.41199310,257,000488,000219,000269,00046.921.025.96.59128.943.39199410,132,000484,000214,000270,00046.620.626.06.51125.443.56199510,113,000470,000206,000264,00046.320.326.06.42122.443.64199610,311,000476,000212,000264,00046.020.525.56.31120.043.44199710,513,000486,000218,000268,00046.120.725.46.26117.643.13199810,732,000497,000224,000273,00046.220.825.46.24114.642.85199910,974,000506,000222,000284,00046.020.225.86.15110.743.57200011,229,000510,000220,000290,00045.419.625.86.04105.244.52200111,499,000520,000214,000306,00045.218.626.65.9998.145.90200211,784,000532,000208,000324,00045.117.727.45.9690.947.22200312,088,000546,000201,000345,00045.116.628.55.9483.148.79200412,411,000559,000193,000366,00045.015.529.45.9376.750.45200512,756,000573,000187,000387,00044.014.329.75.8571.752.04200613,118,000583,000183,000400,00043.813.730.15.8068.253.24200713,495,000589,000182,000407,00043.313.130.25.7265.853.95200813,889,000593,000180,000413,00042.612.430.25.6162.854.60200914,299,000598,000174,000424,00041.711.530.25.4559.955.45201014,718,000601,000168,000433,00040.710.730.05.2656.956.38201115,146,000604,000161,000444,00039.79.929.85.0853.157.46201215,581,000605,000153,000452,00038.69.229.34.9049.058.68201316,025,000607,000146,000461,00037.78.629.14.7644.659.73201416,478,000606,000138,000468,00036.58.128.44.5741.060.90201516,939,000606,000136,000470,00035.837.627.74.3838.561.38201617,406,000606,000131,000475,00034.27.227.04.2235.962.21201717,881,000614,000128,000486,00033.76.826.94.1133.762.98201818,368,000623,000128,000496,00033.26.526.74.0231.763.28201918,867,000634,000125,000509,00032.96.326.63.9530.164.12202019,377,000644,000130,000514,00032.56.226.33.8828.763.72202119,890,000654,000139,000515,00032.16.325.83.7927.562.90202231.75.825.93.72202331.45.426.03.65202431.15.325.93.59202530.85.225.63.53

Demographic and Health Surveys Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):

Year Total Urban Rural CBR TFR CBR TFR CBR TFR 1984 52 7.58 1992 42.9 6.73 (5.74) 40.5 5.51 (4.38) 43.2 6.88 (5.92) 2000 45.5 6.3 (5.2) 40.8 4.5 (3.5) 46.2 6.7 (5.5) 2004 42.4 6.0 (4.9) 37.0 4.2 (3.3) 43.4 6.4 (5.2) 2010 39.2 5.7 (4.5) 36.0 4.0 (3.3) 39.8 6.1 (4.8) 2015-16 32.2 4.4 (3.4) 29.5 3.0 (2.5) 32.6 4.7 (3.6)201732.14.227.42.833.04.5202428.43.7 (3.1)25.62.8 (2.4)28.93.9 (3.3)

Fertility data as of 2016 (DHS Program):

Region Total fertility rate Percentage of women age 15-49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women age 40-49Northern 4.2 8.1 5.7Central 4.4 7.8 6.2Southern 4.6 7.3 5.7 Total 4.4 7.6 5.9

Ethnic groups

Chewa 34.3% Tumbuka 9.2% Lomwe 18.9% Yao 13.2% Ngoni 11.4% Sena 3.8% Mang'anja 3.2% Tonga 1.8% Nyakyusa 1% Asians 0.09% Europeans 0.04% Other 2.5%

Languages The official language of Malawi is English and the other common languages understood by the majority of the population are Chichewa and Chitumbuka.

English (official) Chichewa 6,180,000 Chitumbuka - 4,180,000 Chiyao - 3,760,000 Chilomwe - 3,290,000 Chisena - 2,468,000 Chingoni - 37,500 Chitonga - 471,000 Chinyika - 5,000 Chindali - 70,000 Chinyakyusa - 149,000 Chilambya - 59,500

Religion Protestant 33.5% (includes Church of Central Africa Presbyterian 14.2%, Seventh Day Adventist/Baptist 9.4%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Anglican 2.3%), Roman Catholic 17.2%, other Christian 26.6%, Muslim 13.8%, traditionalist 1.1%, other 5.6%, none 2.1% (2018 est.)

See also Malawi Malawian American

References