Natural resources of Malawi
Oil, gas, minerals, forests and water in Malawi: what it produces, how it ranks in the world, who mines it and what it earns. Every figure is from an official source and is updated when the source is.
Resource rents, share of GDP (2021)
4.2 %
Resources, share of goods exports (2025)
1.3 %
Forest, share of land (2024)
22.0 %
Source: World Bank; UN Comtrade; U.S. Energy Information Administration. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Oil, gas and coal
Coal output was 32 thousand tonnes in 2024.
Mining and minerals
The U.S. Geological Survey records 19 mineral commodities with published production in Malawi between 2017 and 2021, from metals and gemstones to industrial minerals and fuels. The table includes processed products such as cement and steel, which USGS reports alongside raw minerals.
Showing 19 of 19
| Iron ore, mine, for use in cement | Metals | Not published | 2,200 | 2,563 | 1,110 | 5,018 | 6,500 | 2017: e; 2021: e |
| Cement, hydraulic | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 210,500 | 231,550 | 243,075 | 520,000 | 670,000 | 2020: e; 2021: e |
| Clay, brick | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 1,700,000 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 2017: e; 2018: --; 2019: --; 2020: --; 2021: -- |
| Agate | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 14,739 | 110,288 | 68,855 | 1,931 | 30,000 | 2021: e |
| Amethyst | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 21,000 | 18,000 | 15,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 | 2017: e; 2018: e; 2019: e; 2021: e |
| Epidote | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | Not published | 6 | Not published | Not published | Not published | 2017: --; 2019: --; 2020: --; 2021: -- |
| Fluorite | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | Not published | 19 | 19 | 3 | 130 | 2017: --; 2021: e |
| Garnet | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 1,570 | 393 | 508 | 20,643 | 90 | 2021: e |
| Quartz | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 74,632 | 1,054,448 | 471,344 | 1,067,655 | 190,000 | 2021: e |
| Ruby | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 2 | 255 | 13 | 3 | Not published | 2021: -- |
| Sapphire | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 1 | 384 | 129 | 1 | Not published | 2021: -- |
| Other | Industrial Minerals | kilograms | 44,283 | 31,209 | 7,982 | 99,718 | 100 | 2021: e |
| Lime, agricultural and hydrated | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 43,650 | 48,461 | 22,893 | 24,726 | 27,000 | 2019: r; 2021: e |
| Phosphate rock, gross weight | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 1,000 | 1,594 | Not published | Not published | Not published | 2019: --; 2020: --; 2021: -- |
| P2O5 content | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 300 | 480 | Not published | Not published | Not published | 2017: e; 2018: e; 2019: --; 2020: --; 2021: -- |
| Limestone, for cement | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 150,000 | 210,000 | 192,893 | 575,397 | 750,000 | 2017: r, e; 2018: r, e; 2019: r; 2021: e |
| Unspecified | Industrial Minerals | Not published | 2,500,000 | 2,679,321 | 905,000 | 749,903 | 970,000 | 2019: r, e; 2021: e |
| Dimension, unspecified, crude and partly worked | Industrial Minerals | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 927 | 1,000 | 2017: --; 2018: --; 2019: --; 2021: e |
| Coal, bituminous | Mineral Fuels And Related Materials | Not published | 45,230 | 49,753 | 33,101 | 54,876 | 51,000 | 2021: e |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Yearbook, country tables. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Showing 22 of 22
| Cement | Shayona Cement Corp. | Plant at Livwezi | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | Portland Cement Company Ltd. (Lafarge S.A., 100%) | Plant at Blantyre | Not published | Not published |
| Cement | Cement Products Ltd. | Plant at Njereza | Not published | Not published |
| Coal, bituminous | Malcoal Mining Ltd. [Intra Energy Corp. (IEC), 90%] | Nkhachira Mine near Kayelekera | Not published | Not published |
| Coal, bituminous | Eland Coal Mining Co. (Allied Procurement Agency) | Mine at Lufira coalfield | Not published | Not published |
| Coal, bituminous | Mchenga Coal Mines Ltd. (Coal Products Ltd.) | Mchenga Mine in Rumphi District | Not published | Not published |
| Coal, bituminous | Kaziwiziwi Mining Co. | Mine at Kaziwiziwi in Rumphi District | Not published | Not published |
| Agate | Artisanal miners | Mines in Chikwawa District | Not published | kilograms |
| Garnet do. | Artisanal miners | Mines at Salima District | Not published | Not published |
| Rose do. | Mzimba Gemstone Mining Cooperative Society Ltd. | Zumwanda Mine in Mzimba District | Not published | Not published |
| Smoky and crystal do. | Artisanal miners | Zumwanda Mine in Mzimba District | Not published | Not published |
| Yellow do. | Artisanal miners | Mines in Mzimba District | Not published | Not published |
| Ruby and sapphire do. | Mwalawanga Mining Ltd. | Nyala Mine at Chimwadzulu Hill | Not published | Not published |
| Gold | Artisanal miners | Lundu, Makanjira, and Nathenje | Not published | Not published |
| Lime | Various producers, including the following: Zalewa Agricultural Lime Co. LimeCo Balaka Limeworks Supply Co. Ltd. | Various sites, including the following: Blantyre NA Balaka | Not published | Not published |
| Lime | Lirangwe Lime Makers Assoc. | Lirangwe | Not published | Not published |
| Lime | Balaka Lime Makers Assoc. | Balaka | Not published | Not published |
| Phosphate rock | Optichem (2000) Ltd. | Mine at Tundulu | Not published | Not published |
| Limestone | Shayona Cement Corp. | Mine at Wimbe | Not published | Not published |
| Other | Various companies and artisanal miners | More than 20 operations at various sites in Malawi | Not published | Not published |
| Sulfuric acid | Paladin Energy Ltd. | Plant near Kayelekera | Not published | Not published |
| Uranium, U3O | Paladin Energy Ltd. | Mine near Kayelekera | Not published | Not published |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Yearbook 2019, Malawi. Last checked 24 October 2026.
What natural resources earn
Natural resource rents were 4.2% of GDP in 2021, with forests and timber the largest part. That ranks Malawi 40th of 54 African countries. See all 54.
View the data as a table
| Period | Oil | Minerals | Coal | Forests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.1 % | 0.0 % | 0.1 % | 5.9 % |
| 2011 | 0.1 % | 0.0 % | 0.1 % | 5.8 % |
| 2012 | 0.1 % | 0.0 % | 0.1 % | 8.7 % |
| 2013 | 0.1 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 9.9 % |
| 2014 | 0.1 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 9.5 % |
| 2015 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 8.8 % |
| 2016 | 0.1 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 10.9 % |
| 2017 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 7.0 % |
| 2018 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 5.2 % |
| 2019 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 4.2 % |
| 2020 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 4.1 % |
| 2021 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 4.2 % |
| 2022 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 2023 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 2024 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 2025 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 2026 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Forest, share of land (2024)
22.0 %
Arable land, share of land (2024)
42.4 %
Renewable fresh water per person (2022)
785 m³
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Method and sources
Oil, gas and coal output and coal reserves are from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Oil and gas proved reserves are the EIA figures republished by Our World in Data; oil is converted from cubic metres to barrels at the standard factor. World production, reserves and ranks are from the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries, ranked among the countries USGS names. The full list of commodities and the companies that mine them are from the USGS Minerals Yearbook country tables, which run a few years behind. Rents, land and water are from the World Bank, and export shares from UN Comtrade. Nothing is estimated by us. Figures last checked on 24 October 2026.
USGS country page for Malawi. EIA international energy data. World Bank resource rents.
Frequently asked questions
What natural resources does Malawi have?
Malawi's main natural resources are timber, agate and amethyst. The World Bank puts natural resource rents at 4.2% of GDP in 2021, mostly from forests and timber. The U.S. Geological Survey also records production of fluorite, garnet, quartz, ruby, sapphire and coal.
Does Malawi produce oil?
The U.S. Energy Information Administration records no meaningful crude oil production for Malawi in 2025.
What is Malawi's most valuable natural resource?
By export earnings, wood: 1% of goods exports in 2025, according to UN Comtrade.
How much do natural resources contribute to Malawi's economy?
Natural resource rents, the value of resources extracted minus the cost of extracting them, were 4.2% of GDP in 2021. That ranks Malawi 40th of 54 African countries.
Which companies mine in Malawi?
The U.S. Geological Survey's 2019 list of Malawi's mineral industry names 13 operating companies, including Shayona Cement Corp., Portland Cement Company Ltd., Cement Products Ltd., Malcoal Mining Ltd. [Intra Energy Corp. and Eland Coal Mining Co.. The full list is on this page.