When is the next election in Malawi?

Name: National office holders and key facts for Malawi
Creator: PollsAfrica
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The next national election in Malawi is the Malawi general election 2030: Due by 2030. Official figures come from Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

Government directory

Government of Malawi

104 officials listed, each linked to its source.

Population22.2 million2025

GDPUS$15bn2025

Next electionDue by 2030General election

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Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, has its capital at Lilongwe and a population of 22,216,120 (World Bank, 2025). The CIA World Factbook describes its system of government as a presidential republic. President Arthur Peter Mutharika (in office since 4 Oct 2025) is head of state; First Vice President Jane Ansah is the deputy. The legislature is the National Assembly, a unicameral body with 229 seats. The most recent national election, per IFES ElectionGuide, was held on 16 Sept 2025. The source lists the next national election as expected in September 2030. Elections are run by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC). The directory below lists 7 cabinet and ministerial posts with their current holders and sources.

Head of state · President

Arthur Peter Mutharika

Since 4 Oct 2025 · Source: malawi.gov.mw

First vice president · First Vice President

Jane Ansah

Source: malawi.gov.mw

Office	Holder	Since
Second vice president	Enoch Kamzingeni Chihana	-

Sources: Malawi Government official website (retrieved 11 Oct 2026).

Legislature

National Assembly

Unicameral. Source: CIA World Factbook

Chamber	Seats	Last election
National Assembly	229 (all directly elected)	2025-09-16

Malawi National Assembly: list of MPs

Political mix

Seats by party in each chamber of Malawi. One dot is one seat.

National Assembly

Current (from our list)

We hold a checked source for 71 of 229 seats so far. The current mix will appear here once most seats are covered.

As elected, 2025

224

National Assembly seats

Democratic Progressive Party78(34.8%)
Independents73(32.6%)
Malawi Congress Party52(23.2%)
United Transformation Movement8(3.6%)
United Democratic Front4(1.8%)
Alliance for Democracy3(1.3%)
People's Party3(1.3%)
Freedom Party1(0.4%)
National Democratic Party1(0.4%)
People's Development Party1(0.4%)

Seats by party (table)

National Assembly: seats by party, as elected, 2025
Party	Seats	Share of seats
Democratic Progressive Party	78	34.8%
Independents	73	32.6%
Malawi Congress Party	52	23.2%
United Transformation Movement	8	3.6%
United Democratic Front	4	1.8%
Alliance for Democracy	3	1.3%
People's Party	3	1.3%
Freedom Party	1	0.4%
National Democratic Party	1	0.4%
People's Development Party	1	0.4%

As elected: the seats each party won at the 2025 election. It does not follow members who changed party afterwards. 224 seats filled in the chamber. 5 seats are shown as vacant. As of 16 September 2025. Source: Wikipedia, 2025 Malawian general election (reference source).

Names, parties, districts and constituencies come from the Parliament of Malawi member service, checked on 17 October 2026. The service documents 79 of the 229 seats contested in 2025; 71 records are published after holding back rows whose term start date contradicts the current term. Each record links to the source we read.

Cabinet

Portfolio	Holder	Since
Minister of Justice	Charles Mhango	-
Minister of Finance	Joseph Mathyola Mwanamvekha	-
Minister of Foreign Affairs	George Chaponda	-
Minister of Health	Madalitso Baloyi	-
Minister of Education	Bright Msaka	-
Minister of Interior	Peter Mukhito	-
Minister of Defence	Feston Kaupa	-

Sources: Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Malawi (retrieved 23 Oct 2026); Ministry of Finance, Malawi (retrieved 23 Oct 2026); Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1361345526 and CIA World Leaders (list updated 8/25/2026) (retrieved 23 Oct 2026); Ministry of Education of Malawi (retrieved 25 Oct 2026); National Registration Bureau (Government of Malawi) (retrieved 23 Oct 2026); Government of Malawi press release on official appointments, 30 Oct 2025 (not yet checked against an official page) and CIA World Leaders (list updated 8/25/2026) (retrieved 23 Oct 2026).

Other cabinet members

Portfolio	Holder	Appointed
President	Arthur Peter Mutharika	8 Oct 2025
First Vice President	Jane Ansah	8 Oct 2025
Second Vice President	Enoch Chihana	8 Oct 2025
Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change	Patricia Wiskies	29 May 2026
Minister of Agriculture	Roza Mbilizi Fachi	30 Oct 2025
Minister of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism (Minister of Industrialization, Business, Trade and Tourism)	Simon Itaye	29 May 2026
Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture	Ben Malunga Phiri	30 Oct 2025
Minister of Lands and Housing	Chimwemwe Chipungu	29 May 2026
Minister of Transport and Public Works	Jappie Mhango	29 May 2026
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare	Mary Navicha	30 Oct 2025
Minister of Energy	Jean Mathanga	30 Oct 2025
Minister of Mining	Thoko Tembo	29 May 2026
Minister of Labour, Skills and Innovation	Joel Chigona	30 Oct 2025
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture	Alfred Gangata	29 May 2026
Minister of Information and Communication Technology	Shadrick Namalomba	30 Oct 2025
Deputy Minister of Homeland Security (Operations) (Deputy Minister of Homeland Security)	Norman Chisale	30 Oct 2025
Deputy Minister of Gender (Deputy Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare)	Martha Mzomera Ngwira	30 Oct 2025
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change	Chipiliro Mpinganjira	29 May 2026
Deputy Minister of Industrialisation (Deputy Minister of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism)	Edgar Tembo	29 May 2026

Sources: Malawi Government official website (retrieved 11 Oct 2026); Government of Malawi press release on official appointments, 30 Oct 2025 (not yet checked against an official page) and CIA World Leaders (list updated 8/25/2026) (retrieved 11 Oct 2026); Ministry of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism (retrieved 11 Oct 2026); Malawi embassy page (not yet checked against an official page) and CIA World Leaders (list updated 8/25/2026) (retrieved 10 Oct 2026); Ministry of Labour, Skills and Innovation (retrieved 11 Oct 2026); Government of Malawi press release on official appointments, 30 Oct 2025 (not yet checked against an official page) (retrieved 11 Oct 2026); Malawi embassy page (not yet checked against an official page) (retrieved 10 Oct 2026).

List as of 11 Oct 2026.

Parliament, courts and independent offices

Office	Holder	Since
Electoral Commission Chair	Justice Annabel Mtalimanja	-
Attorney General	Frank Farouk Mbeta	-
Central Bank Governor	George Partridge	1 Jan 2026

Sources: Malawi Electoral Commission (retrieved 23 Oct 2026); Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Malawi (retrieved 23 Oct 2026); Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1370292774 (retrieved 23 Oct 2026).

Malawi election dates 2026, 2027 and 2028

Next national election: Due by 2030, general election.

Date	Election	Status	Turnout	Winner
Due by 2030	General election	Due	-	-

Sources: Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) (retrieved 9 Oct 2026).

Recent results

Date	Election	Status	Turnout	Winner
16 Sept 2025	General election	Held	76.4%	Peter Mutharika (DPP)

Sources: Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) (retrieved 9 Oct 2026).

Africa election calendar

Economy at a glance

Full economy page

GDP: US$15bn; 2025
GDP growth: 1.9%; 2025
Remittances received: US$306m; 2025
Foreign direct investment: US$530m; 2025

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More data for Malawi

World Bank data

Economy: GDP, investment, trade and remittances, 2015 to 2025

Money sent home by citizens abroad, foreign direct investment, reserves, external debt and aid.

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Population of Malawi

Malawi had 24.1 million people in 2025, 21st largest of 53 in Africa. The IMF projects 27.7 million by 2030. African countries by population.

Malawi in numbers

Population (2025)
24.1
21st largest of 53 in Africa
Population growth since 2015 (2025)
32.8 %
11th fastest-growing of 52 in Africa
Projected population 2030 (2030)
27.7
20th highest of 52 in Africa
People per sq km (2025)
255
8th most crowded of 53 in Africa

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP), October 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Population of Malawi, 2015 to 2030Millions of people. From 2026 the figures are IMF projections.

View the data as a table

Period	Malawi
2015	18.1
2016	18.6
2017	19.2
2018	19.7
2019	20.3
2020	20.9
2021	21.5
2022	22.1
2023	22.7
2024	23.4
2025	24.1
2026	24.8 (partial)
2027	25.5 (partial)
2028	26.2 (partial)
2029	27.0 (partial)
2030	27.7 (partial)

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP), October 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Inflation and unemployment in Malawi

Prices in Malawi rose 28.4% in 2025, 5th highest of 52 in Africa. The ILO estimates unemployment at 5.1% (2025) and 7% among people aged 15 to 24. Malawi's own survey put it at 15.4% in 2024; the two differ because the ILO models every country on one method while national surveys define work and job search in their own way. Inflation in Africa · Unemployment in Africa · Malawi's economy.

Prices and jobs in Malawi

Inflation (2025)
28.4 %
48th lowest of 52 in Africa
Unemployment (2025)
5.1 %
22nd lowest of 53 in Africa
Youth unemployment (2025)
7.0 %
20th lowest of 53 in Africa
Unemployment, national survey (2024)
15.4 %
National survey

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Inflation in MalawiRise in consumer prices, % a year.

View the data as a table

Period	Malawi
2010	7.4
2011	7.6
2012	21.3
2013	27.3
2014	23.8
2015	21.9
2016	21.7
2017	11.5
2018	12.4
2019	9.4
2020	8.6
2021	9.3
2022	21.0
2023	28.8
2024	32.2
2025	28.4
2026	Not published

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Unemployment in Malawi: ILO estimate and national survey% of the labour force. The national survey line has gaps in years without a survey.

View the data as a table

Period	ILO modelled estimate	National survey
2010	4.8	Not published
2011	4.8	1.7
2012	5.0	Not published
2013	5.0	5.0
2014	5.0	Not published
2015	5.0	Not published
2016	5.0	Not published
2017	5.1	3.8
2018	5.0	Not published
2019	5.0	Not published
2020	5.7	0.9
2021	5.7	Not published
2022	5.0	Not published
2023	5.0	Not published
2024	5.1	15.4
2025	5.1	Not published
2026	Not published	Not published

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Life expectancy and infant mortality in Malawi

A child born in Malawi can expect to live 67.6 years (2024). 49 of every 1,000 children die before age five. Life expectancy in Africa, all countries ranked.

Health in Malawi

Life expectancy (2024)
67.6
18th longest of 54 in Africa
Child deaths under five (2024)
49
29th lowest of 54 in Africa
Health spending per person (2023)
41
42nd highest of 54 in Africa

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Life expectancy in Malawi against the middle African countryLife expectancy at birth, years.

View the data as a table

Period	Malawi	Middle African country
2014	61.7	61.8
2015	62.3	62.3
2016	63.2	62.8
2017	63.9	63.1
2018	64.5	63.2
2019	65.0	63.3
2020	65.2	63.7
2021	64.8	62.5
2022	66.0	64.6
2023	67.4	65.6
2024	67.6	65.8

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Infant and child mortality in MalawiDeaths before age five per 1,000 live births. Lower is better.

View the data as a table

Period	Malawi
2014	60
2015	57
2016	56
2017	54
2018	52
2019	51
2020	50
2021	50
2022	50
2023	50
2024	49

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Literacy rate in Malawi

70.2% of adults in Malawi can read and write (2020, World Bank). Literacy rate in Africa by country · Universities and exam bodies in Malawi.

Literacy and schooling in Malawi

Adult literacy (2020)
70.2 %
29th highest of 52 in Africa
Youth literacy (2020)
80.7 %
32nd highest of 53 in Africa
Education spending, % of GDP (2022)
2.8 %
36th highest of 52 in Africa

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Human development and internet access in Malawi

Malawi's Human Development Index was 0.517 in 2023, 172nd of 193 countries in the world (low human development). Human Development Index in Africa · Tech and internet in Africa · Learn digital skills with SR Academy.

Development and digital access in Malawi

Human Development Index (2023)
0.52
36th highest of 54 in Africa
Internet users (2024)
19.0 %
44th highest of 54 in Africa
Mobile subscriptions (2024)
69
41st highest of 54 in Africa
Access to electricity (2024)
15.6 %
52nd highest of 54 in Africa

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Human development in MalawiUNDP Human Development Index, 0 to 1, against the middle African country.

View the data as a table

Period	Malawi	Middle African country
2000	0.39	0.44
2001	0.40	0.45
2002	0.41	0.45
2003	0.41	0.46
2004	0.42	0.46
2005	0.43	0.47
2006	0.44	0.47
2007	0.44	0.48
2008	0.46	0.49
2009	0.47	0.50
2010	0.48	0.50
2011	0.48	0.51
2012	0.49	0.52
2013	0.49	0.52
2014	0.50	0.52
2015	0.50	0.53
2016	0.51	0.53
2017	0.51	0.54
2018	0.51	0.54
2019	0.51	0.55
2020	0.51	0.55
2021	0.51	0.56
2022	0.51	0.57
2023	0.52	0.57

Source: UNDP, Human Development Report, composite indices time series. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Is Malawi safe?

The US State Department rates Malawi at level 2 of 4: exercise increased caution. The homicide rate is 1.8 per 100,000 people (2012). Safest countries in Africa.

Safety in Malawi

US travel advisory level (2026)
2
16th safest by advisory of 54 in Africa
Homicide rate (2012)
1.8
9th lowest of 37 in Africa

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Coups, democracy and stability in Malawi

Malawi has had no successful coup, but 1 failed attempt or plot. Coups in Africa: every country.

26 March 2001: Coup plot

Democracy and stability in Malawi

Voice and accountability (2025)
58
12th highest of 54 in Africa
Political stability (2025)
63
15th highest of 54 in Africa
Control of corruption (2025)
35
22nd highest of 54 in Africa

Source: World Bank, Worldwide Governance Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Malawi's debt

Government debt was 96.6% of GDP in 2025 (IMF). The largest foreign creditor is World Bank-IDA, owed 56.6% of public debt abroad (2024). Malawi's debt and creditors in full · Debt in Africa.

Compare Malawi

Where Malawi ranks in Africa

Its place among the 54 African countries on each of our Africa rankings. Each tile opens the full ranking with its source.

All Africa rankings

Cite this

PollsAfrica (2026). Government of Malawi. Retrieved 26 Oct 2026 from https://pollsafrica.com/countries/malawi