In-Depth Analysis
Malawi
Malawi is one of Africa’s most impoverished countries, and faces significant macro-and socio-economic challenges. Corruption perceptions harm the economy further by keeping donor nations away.
There is no question that the string of debt scandals since 2013 still inhibit multilateral budgetary support and the authorities still have some way to go to prove to international donors that Malawi has turned a corner. Moreover, Malawi's economy is not operating at full potential although the medium-term outlook is tilted towards the positive end of the spectrum. We expect economic growth to slow down to 3.7% in 2018, as ongoing power issues and lower maize production outweigh the projected higher tobacco production this year. On the upside, Malawi is on its way to reach macroeconomic stability in the short term, with a stable exchange rate and inflation close to single-digits. (Source: Malawi Annual Country Profile, published September 2018.)
Macroeconomic Data
(2017)
|
Fiscal Balance (as a % of GDP) |
-6.2 |
|
Consumer Price Index (% change y-o-y, avg) |
12.2 |
|
Current Account Balance (as a % of GDP) |
-14.8 |
|
Real GDP (annual % change) |
4.0 |
|
GDP per Capita, US$ |
337.8 |
|
Import Cover (months) |
3.9 |
|
Population, million |
18.7 |
| Total External Debt (as a % of GDP) |
32.8 |