Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Malawi fits inside Zambia 6.4 times
Malawi: 118,484 km² (2024) · Zambia: 752,612 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Malawi: 0 km (2026 edition) · Zambia: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Malawi’s highest peak towers 672 m above Zambia’s
Malawi: 3,002 m (2026 edition) · Zambia: 2,330 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 65% of Malawi, versus 32% of Zambia
Malawi: 65% (2024) · Zambia: 32.1% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Malawi has 1% more people than Zambia
Malawi: 22.2 million (2025) · Zambia: 21.9 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Malawi is 8 times as densely populated as Zambia
Malawi: 236 per km² (2025) · Zambia: 29 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Zambia are 1.9 cm taller than in Malawi
Malawi: 165.7 cm (2019) · Zambia: 167.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Zambia are 1.2 cm taller than in Malawi
Malawi: 156.1 cm (2019) · Zambia: 157.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Malawi is 0.09 years older than in Zambia
Malawi: 17.6 years (2023) · Zambia: 17.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Zambia have 0.4 more children on average than in Malawi
Malawi: 3.59 children per woman (2024) · Zambia: 4.04 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
2.6% of people in Malawi are 65 or older, versus 2.0% in Zambia
Malawi: 2.6% (2025) · Zambia: 2% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Zambia hosts 2.4 times as many refugees per resident as Malawi
Malawi: 1.6 per 1,000 (2025) · Zambia: 3.8 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Malawi and Zambia are practically level
Malawi: 0 (2026) · Zambia: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Malawi has 2 official languages, Zambia 1
Malawi: 2 (2026) · Zambia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Zambia’s economy is 94% larger than Malawi’s
Malawi: $14.9 billion (2025) · Zambia: $28.9 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Zambia produces 2.3 times as much per person as Malawi
Malawi: Int$1,899 (2025) · Zambia: Int$4,379 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Zambia than in Malawi (Gini 13 points higher)
Malawi: 38.5 (2019) · Zambia: 51.5 (2022)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
75% of people in Malawi live on less than $3 a day, versus 72% in Zambia
Malawi: 75.4% (2019) · Zambia: 71.7% (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.9% in Zambia, versus 5.1% in Malawi
Malawi: 5.1% (2025) · Zambia: 5.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Zambia and Malawi are practically level
Malawi: 1.1% (2025) · Zambia: 1.3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Zambia’s central government collects 19% of GDP in tax, Malawi’s 16%
Malawi: 15.6% (2024) · Zambia: 18.8% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Malawi’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Zambia’s
Malawi: 35% (2025) · Zambia: 30% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Zambia spends 93% more on health per person than Malawi
Malawi: $41 (2023) · Zambia: $80 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Malawi live 1 year longer than in Zambia
Malawi: 67.6 years (2024) · Zambia: 66.5 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Malawi is 10% more likely to die before turning one than in Zambia
Malawi: 38 per 1,000 (2024) · Zambia: 34.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Zambia has 6 times as many doctors per person as Malawi
Malawi: 0.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Zambia: 0.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Malawi is 4% higher than in Zambia
Malawi: 21.5 per 100k (2023) · Zambia: 20.7 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
10% of adults in Zambia are obese, versus 6.7% in Malawi
Malawi: 6.7% (2024) · Zambia: 10.1% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
14% of adults in Zambia smoke, versus 8.9% in Malawi
Malawi: 8.9% (2024) · Zambia: 14.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Zambia rate their lives 0.82 points higher than in Malawi
Malawi: 3.28 (2025) · Zambia: 4.11 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Zambia drink 2.1 times as much alcohol as in Malawi
Malawi: 1 litres (2023) · Zambia: 2.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Malawi has 60% more meat per person than Zambia
Malawi: 28.2 kg (2023) · Zambia: 17.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Malawi has 449 kcal more food per person per day than Zambia
Malawi: 2,618 kcal (2023) · Zambia: 2,170 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Zambia put in 604 more hours a year than in Malawi
Malawi: 1,596 hours (2023) · Zambia: 2,200 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Zambia went to school 2.2 years longer than in Malawi
Malawi: 5.2 years (2023) · Zambia: 7.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Zambia welcomed 33% more tourists per resident than Malawi (2019)
Malawi: 0.05 (2019) · Zambia: 0.07 (2019)
How many World Heritage sites?
Malawi has 2 more World Heritage sites than Zambia (3 against 1)
Malawi: 3 (2026) · Zambia: 1 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Zambia has won 3 Olympic medals, Malawi none
Malawi: 0 (2026 edition) · Zambia: 3 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
19% of people in Malawi are online, versus 17% in Zambia
Malawi: 19% (2024) · Zambia: 17% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Malawi is 29% faster than in Zambia
Malawi: 89 Mbps (2026) · Zambia: 69 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
54% of people in Zambia have electricity, versus 16% in Malawi
Malawi: 15.6% (2024) · Zambia: 53.6% (2024)
How many live in cities?
46% of people in Zambia live in cities, versus 18% in Malawi
Malawi: 18% (2025) · Zambia: 46% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Zambia has 109 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Malawi 69
Malawi: 69 (2024) · Zambia: 109 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Zambia’s railway network is 63% longer than Malawi’s
Malawi: 767 km (2014) · Zambia: 1,248 km (2019)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Zambia fly 93 times as many passengers per resident as those from Malawi
Malawi: 0.00016 (2023) · Zambia: 0.01 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 60% of Zambia, but only 22% of Malawi
Malawi: 22% (2024) · Zambia: 60.5% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Zambia emits 6.5 times as much CO₂ as someone in Malawi
Malawi: 0.1 t (2024) · Zambia: 0.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
96% of Malawi’s electricity is renewable, versus 87% in Zambia
Malawi: 95.6% (2024) · Zambia: 87.5% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Zambia carries 17% more fine dust than in Malawi
Malawi: 21.8 µg/m³ (2024) · Zambia: 25.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Malawi: no data · Zambia: 5.2 per 100k (2015)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Malawi are 32% deadlier than in Zambia
Malawi: 33.2 per 100k (2023) · Zambia: 25.2 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Malawi is on average 0.2 °C warmer than Zambia
Malawi: 22.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · Zambia: 22.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Malawi gets 30% more rain than Zambia
Malawi: 1,453 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Zambia: 1,116 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Malawi bigger than Zambia?
Zambia is larger. Malawi fits inside Zambia 6.4 times.
Which has more people, Malawi or Zambia?
Malawi has 1% more people than Zambia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Malawi or Zambia?
People in Malawi live 1 year longer than in Zambia. Life expectancy at birth is 67.6 years in Malawi and 66.5 in Zambia.
Are people taller in Malawi or Zambia?
Men in Zambia are 1.9 cm taller than in Malawi (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
