Sustainability outcomes

The per capita Gross National Income (GNI) of Malawi, as a low-income country, was US$1,180 in 2017 and it remains one of the poorest countries in the world: 171 out of 189 on the 2017 UNDP Human Development Index. 71.5 per cent of the population can be classified as below the international poverty line of US$1.90 a day. With 84.7 per cent of the population concentrated in agriculture, agricultural development will be key to lifting Malawians out of poverty. The population is also highly vulnerable to natural disasters, such as floods in 2015 and a major drought in 2016. Malawi’s challenges are exacerbated by a volatile economy, a near 10 per cent rate of HIV infection, a 51 per cent rate of primary school completion, and a high level of malnutrition as well as a 37 per cent rate of stunting for children under five. The findings of the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) reveal that 1 million people will be food insecure during the 2019/2020 lean season. On a more positive note, extreme poverty appears to have declined from 24.5 per cent in 2010 to 2011 to 20.1 per cent in 2016 to 2017. Average life expectancy also increased from about 45 in 2000 to 63 in 2017, with life expectancy for women increasing from 47.6 in 2000 to 66.4 in 2017. The infant mortality rates (per 1000 live births) declined from 100.4 in 2000 to 35.3 in 2018. Smallholder farmers produce 80 per cent of the food consumed nationally. Women are the biggest contributors to Malawi’s national food production, performing between 50 and 70 per cent of all agricultural tasks and producing over 70 per cent of food consumed locally.

Sustainable Development Goals:

No Poverty

Zero Hunger

Gender Equality