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Malawi

Location

  • Geographical region: Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa
  • SDG region: SDG Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Least Developed Countries, Land Locked Developing Countries

Land

  • Total area: --- km2
  • Land area: 94,280 km(2020)
  • Land use by sector: 60% agriculture, 24% forest and 16% other (2018 - 2020)

People

  • Total population: 20,405,317 people (2022)
  • Population density: 203 people per km2 (2020)  
  • Urbanisation: 16% lives in urban areas and 77% lives in rural areas (2020)  

Economy

  • Total GDP: 28,864,096,822 USD per year (2020)
  • GDP per capita: 1,415 USD per year (2020)
  • Value added by sector: 23% from agriculture, 53% from services and 18% from industry (2020 - 2022)
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SDG 6 snapshot in Malawi

  • Drinking water

    18 % of the population in Malawi uses a safely managed drinking water service (SDG indicator 6.1.1, 2022)
  • Sanitation

    46 % of the population in Malawi uses a safely managed sanitation service (SDG indicator 6.2.1a, 2022)
  • Hygiene

    15 % of the population in Malawi has a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home (SDG indicator 6.2.1b, 2022)
  • Wastewater

    6 % of domestic wastewater in Malawi is safely treated (SDG indicator 6.3.1, 2022)
  • Water quality

    75 % of monitored water bodies in Malawi has good ambient water quality (SDG indicator 6.3.2, 2023)
  • Efficiency

    6 $/m<sup>3</sup> is the value added from the use of water by people and the economy in Malawi (SDG indicator 6.4.1, 2021)
  • Water stress

    18 % of the renewable water resources in Malawi is being withdrawn, after taking into account environmental flow requirements (SDG indicator 6.4.2, 2021)
  • Water management

    58 % is the degree of implementation of integrated water resources management in Malawi (SDG indicator 6.5.1, 2023) 
  • Transboundary

    61 % of transboundary basin area has an operational arrangement for water cooperation (SDG indicator 6.5.2, 2023)
  • Ecosystems

    15 % of the water basins in Malawi is experiencing rapid changes in the area covered by surface waters (SDG 6 indicator 6.6.1, 2020)
  • Cooperation

    102 m$ is the amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Malawi in 2022 (SDG indicator 6.a.1)
  • Participation

    + is the number of sub-sectors (out of 6) with a high level of participation by communities in Malawi (SDG indicator 6.b.1, 2021)

Drinking water

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Malawi, progress over time

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Malawi, by service level and location (2022)

Sanitation and hygiene

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Malawi, progress over time

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Malawi, by service level and location (2022)

6.2.1b Proportion of population with a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home in Malawi, by service level and location (2022)

Water quality and wastewater

6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated > Domestic in Malawi (2022), compared to other countries (and areas) in the region

6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated in Malawi, by source (2022)

6.3.2 Level 1 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality in Malawi (2020-2023), compared to other countries (and areas) in the region

Water use and scarcity

Water resources and withdrawal in Malawi, total and per capita

Long-term average annual precipitation in depth: 1,181 (mm/year) (2020)

Renewable water resources: 928 m3 per capita (2017)

Water withdrawal: 98 m3 per capita (2005)

Environmental flow requirements: % of the renewable water resources ()

6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources in Malawi, change over time, compared to other countries (and areas) in the region

6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in Malawi, by sector (2020)

Water-use efficiency for ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ only takes into account the proportion of gross value added that comes from irrigated agriculture, since that activity is associated with water withdrawal (other activities are rain-fed).

6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in Malawi, progress over time, compared to other countries (and areas) in the region

Water resources management

6.5.1 Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-100) in Malawi, progress over time, by dimension

Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

6.5.2 Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation in Malawi, progress over time, by component

Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

International cooperation and capacity-building

6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Malawi, over time

6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Malawi in 2022, by sub-sector

Water and sanitation-related official development assistance includes water sector policy and governance, water supply, sanitation, water sector policy, water resources conservation, river basins development, waste management/disposal, education and training, agricultural water resources and hydroelectric power.

Annual expenditure for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in Malawi, by funding source

Community participation

6.b.1 Procedures in law or policy for participation by users/communities and level of participation in Malawi (2021)

6.b.1 Level of participation by users/communities in Malawi, progress over time, by sub-sector