| Economy - overview: | Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounted for nearly 36% of GDP and 80% of export revenues in 2005. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for over 50% of exports. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In late 2000, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces strong 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. In 2005, President MUTHARIKA championed an anticorruption campaign. Malawi's recent fiscal policy performance has been very strong, but a serious drought in 2005 and 2006 will heighten pressure on the government to increase spending. |
| GDP - per capita | $600 (2005 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate (%) | 1% (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, corn, potatoes, cassava (tapioca), sorghum, pulses; groundnuts, Macadamia nuts; cattle, goats |
| GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 35.9%, industry: 14.5%, services: 49.6% (2005 est.) |
| Industries | tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods |
| Economic aid - recipient | $401.5 million (2001) |
| Debt - external | $3.284 billion (2005 est.) |
| Population below poverty line (%) | 55% (2004 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 90% (2003 est.) |
Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
