Standard of living

• Malawi is ranked as the 8th poorest country in the world. (World Bank – 2004)
• 73.9% of the population live on less than $1.25 a day (United Nations - 2009)
• In 2008 the gross national income per capita was US$ 280 (World Bank - 2008)
• Malawi is considered to have low human development with its Human Development Index placing it 160 out of the world's 182 countries 
• There are 2.2 internet users per 100 people in Malawi (UNICEF- 2008)
• There are 12 mobile subscriptions per 100 people in Malawi (UNICEF- 2008)

Health

• The average life expectancy at birth in Malawi is 49 years for males and 51 years for females this is compared with 77 years for males and 81 years for females in the UK
• The number of children dying before their fifth birthday is 110 per 1,000 live births - this is over 100 more infants (per 1000 live births) dying in Malawi in the first year of life compared to the UK
• The number of physicians in Malawi is 266 compared with 126 in the UK
• The number of nurses and midwives is 7264 whereas in the UK this figure is 740 731
• The number of hospital beds available in Malawi per 1000 of the population is 11, in the UK this figure is 39 per 1000
• There is 40 times more total expenditure on health in the UK compared with Malawi. That's $64 per person a year in Malawi and $2597 a year per person in the UK (2005)
• Rural access to improved drinking water sources in 2007 in Malawi - 76% - this has risen from 62% in 2002
• Rural access to improved sanitation in 2007 in Malawi - 60% - this has risen from 42% in 2002

World Health Statistics 2009 (data from 2007 unless stated)

HIV & AIDS

Sub-Saharan Africa General:

• In 2008 the number of adults newly infected with HIV or AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa was 1.9 million, this is 70% of the 2.7 million newly infected worldwide
• This results in a prevalence level of 5.2% the region with the next highest figure is East Europe and Central Asia with a prevalence of 0.7%
• The number of adults and children living with HIV or AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa is 22.4 million, 67% of the 33.4 million adults and children living with HIV or AIDS worldwide
• In 2008, an estimated 1.4 million AIDS related deaths occurred in 2008. In the same year more than 14.1 million children were estimated to have lost one or both parents to AIDS 
• There has been a rapid scaling-up of antiretroviral therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa, but treatment coverage for adults (44%) remains higher than for children (35%)

UNAIDS/WHO 2009 AIDS Epidemic Update

Malawi Specific:

• Malawi has one of the highest national HIV prevalence rates in the world (USAID -  2009)
• There are currently 930,000 people in Malawi living with HIV or AIDS, this equates to 11.9% of the population aged 15-49 (World Health Statistics -  2009)
• In 2003, 500,000 children were orphaned by AIDS, that’s almost 13% of the population. (UNESCO - 2005)
• All-cause mortality has risen by 76 percent among men and 74 percent among women age 15-49 during the 1990s. The age patterns of the increase are consistent with causes related to HIV & AIDS. (Malawi National Statistics Office – 2000)
• The contraceptive prevalence rate is 41.7% in Malawi compared with 82% in the UK (World Health Statistics 2009)
• Unprompted awareness that use of condoms prevents HIV transmission has risen between 1996 and 2000 from 23 to 55 percent among women and from 47 to 71 percent among men. (Malawi National Statistics Office – 2000)
• Generally, knowledge of means to prevent HIV & AIDS is lowest in the young, sexually inexperienced, and rural population. (Malawi National Statistics Office – 2000)
• Antiretroviral therapy coverage of both sexes in Malawi was only 8% in 2004. That is almost 10 times lower than in the UK. (WHO - 2005)

Malaria

• The malaria mortality rate is 95 per 100 000 of the population (World Health Statistics - 2009)
• From the amount of notified cases it is estimated that over 1/4 of the population have contracted Malaria. (WHO – 2005)
• Almost 50% of deaths among children under 5 are attributable to malaria. (Malawi Ministry of Health – 2002)

Bednets

• Only 38% of households own at least one insecticide-treated bednet (UNICEF - 2008)
• On average only 7% of people slept under a bednet on the night before the survey. (Malawi Nat Office of Statistics – 2000)
• The percentage of children aged under 5 sleeping under insecticide-treated bednets is 23% (World Health Statistics - 2009)

Treatment of fever in children under age five

• 42% of children under age five had a fever in the two weeks preceding the survey. (Malawi Nat Office of Statistics – 2000)
• The percentage of the population under 5 years old with a fever who were being treated with anti-malarial drugs dropped from 27% in 2000 to 18% in 2004. This has since increased again to 25% in 2008 (UNICEF)
• Among feverish children, 35% were reported to have been taken to a health facility for treatment and 27% of children were given an antimalarial. (Malawi Nat Office of Statistics – 2000)
• Of those given an antimalarial, 83 percent were given the treatment within zero to one day of the onset of fever. (Malawi Nat Office of Statistics – 2000)

Education

• The literacy rate for those aged 15 and over in 2007 was 72.6% for males and 66.3% for females (UNESCO - 2007)
• Net enrollment in primary school was 90.6% of eligible children in 2008 (UNESCO- 2007)
• However, only 25% of eligible children were enrolled in secondary school in the same year (UNESCO - 2007)
• Only 0.4% of the pop enrol in Tertiary education compared to 3.83% in UK (458 times more)
• UK has 92% more primary teachers relative to population
• Primary school pupil/teacher ratio is 62 in Malawi and 17 in the UK. (Malawi over 3 times more)
• Secondary school pupil/teacher ratio is 42 in Malawi and 20 in the UK. (Malawi over double)
• Total secondary teachers 2003 is 90% greater in UK (relative to population)
• Total tertiary teachers is 93% greater in UK (relative to population)
• Public current expenditure per primary pupil ($US), Malawi – 20, UK – 4291 (UK 215 times more) (2002)

Agriculture

• Highest value commodities 89-91 – Tobacco, 99-01 – Potatoes, 02 – Maize, 03 – Maize 
• Agricultural population % of total, Malawi – 83%, UK – 11% (2004) (72% difference)
• Economically active population in agriculture % of total (2004), Malawi – 81, UK – 2 (79% more in Malawi)
• Irrigated land as % share of total arable land (2002), Malawi – 1.3, UK – 2.95
• UK had 96 more tractors per 1000 ha of arable land than Malawi in 2002.
• Malawi received over $123 million (US$) in external assistance to agriculture between 1999 and 2001. (all with concessions)