What is happening in Malawi?
Malawi is among the poorest countries in the world and is vulnerable to weather-related disasters, including droughts, floods and cyclones. High dependence on agriculture exacerbates the impact of climate shocks, which contribute to failing harvests.
Malawi’s economy has been severely hit by the Covid pandemic. Debt poses a serious economic problem, with public debt totalling 55% of GDP in 2020. As of 2018, 65% of the urban population of Malawi live in slums, and 73.5% of people (as of 2019) live at a PPP level of poverty. With high debt, slowing growth and a lack of government expenditure, it is hard to see these statistics dramatically improving in the near future.
Malawi is currently experiencing the deadliest outbreak of cholera in its history, with over 39,000 cases and over 1200 deaths reported.