Malawi
2020 Product Exports | Imports: $937M | $2.53B, 156 of 226 | 155 of 226
2020 Per Capita Product Exports | Imports: $49 | $132, 210 of 219 | 208 of 219
2019 Service Exports | Imports : $182M | $358M, 69 of 76 | 72 of 76
Overview In 2020 Malawi was the number 156 economy in the world in terms of total exports and the number 155 in total imports.
Exports The top exports of Malawi are Tobacco, unmanufactured; tobacco refuse ($488M), Cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose, in solid form ($97.9M), Tea ($83.6M), Vegetables, leguminous; shelled, whether or not skinned or split, dried ($50.4M), and Ground-nuts; not roasted or otherwise cooked, whether or not shelled or broken ($35.4M), exporting mostly to Belgium ($161M), United Kingdom ($51.9M), South Africa ($50.9M), Germany ($50.6M), and Zimbabwe ($43M).
Imports The top imports of Malawi are Petroleum oils and oils from bituminous minerals, not crude; preparations n.e.c, containing... ($187M), Unused postage, revenue or similar stamps of current or new issue in... ($158M), Tobacco, unmanufactured; tobacco refuse ($116M), Medicaments; (not goods of heading no. 3002, 3005 or 3006) consisting of... ($115M), and Fertilizers; mineral or chemical, containing 2 or 3 of the elements nitrogen,... ($107M), importing mostly from South Africa ($549M), China ($394M), United Arab Emirates ($277M), India ($195M), and Zambia ($149M).
Location Malawi borders Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia by land.
Latest Trends
#permalink to sectionLatest Trade
#permalink to sectionThe following section uses the most recent trade data from partners of Malawi.
Disclaimer: data is presented based on availability and only countries that use the harmonized system are being shown.
*All data is converted to USD using January 2020 exchange rates when data is reported in local currency.
Latest Data
#permalink to sectionData is presented based on data availability. Only countries using the Harmonic System (HS) are selected. Every source is shown using their own latest twelve months of data.
*All data is converted to USD using January 2020 exchange rates when data is reported in local currency.
Historical Data
#permalink to sectionYearly Trade
#permalink to sectionTop Export (2020): Tobacco, unmanufactured; tobacco refuse, $488M
Top Destination (2020): Belgium, $549M
In 2020, Malawi exported a total of $937M, making it the number 156 exporter in the world. During the last five reported years the exports of Malawi have changed by -$257M from $1.19B in 2015 to $937M in 2020.
The most recent exports are led by Tobacco, unmanufactured; tobacco refuse ($488M), Cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose, in solid form ($97.9M), Tea ($83.6M), Vegetables, leguminous; shelled, whether or not skinned or split, dried ($50.4M), and Ground-nuts; not roasted or otherwise cooked, whether or not shelled or broken ($35.4M). The most common destination for the exports of Malawi are Belgium ($161M), United Kingdom ($51.9M), South Africa ($50.9M), Germany ($50.6M), and Zimbabwe ($43M).
Market Growth
#permalink to sectionFastest Growing Export Markets (2019 - 2020)
- United Kingdom, $24.1M (+ 86.7%)
- Germany, $21.2M (+ 72%)
- Zimbabwe, $18M (+ 72.2%)
Fastest Growing Import Markets (2019 - 2020)
- Mozambique, $57M (+ 136%)
- South Africa, $55M (+ 11.1%)
- Zambia, $14.2M (+ 10.6%)
Service Trade
#permalink to sectionService Trade
#permalink to sectionMalawi Exports Services (2019): $182M
Malawi Imports Services (2019): $358M
In 2019, Malawi exported $182M worth of services. The top services exported by Malawi in 2019 were Computer and information services ($44.1M), Transportation ($30.3M), Business travel ($30.2M), Insurance services ($25.9M), and Financial services ($18.7M).
The top services imported by Malawi in 2019 were Transportation ($94.4M), Other business services ($62.5M), Business travel ($53.7M), Personal travel ($53.5M), and Insurance services ($33.8M).
Economic Complexity
#permalink to sectionMost Specialized Products by RCA Index
#permalink to sectionMalawi has a high level of specialization in Tobacco, unmanufactured; tobacco refuse (1.05k), Tea (194), Ground-nuts; not roasted or otherwise cooked, whether or not shelled or broken (156), Vegetables, leguminous; shelled, whether or not skinned or split, dried (75.4), and Cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose, in solid form (69.9). Specialization is measured using RCA, an index that takes the ratio between Malawi observed and expected exports in each product.
Most Complex Products by PCI
#permalink to sectionThe highest complexity exports of Malawi according to the product complexity index (PCI) are Machine-tools; for working stone, ceramics, concrete, asbestos-cement or like mineral materials or for cold working glass (1.1), Bulldozers, graders, levellers, scrapers, angledozers, mechanical shovels, excavators, shovel loaders, tamping machines and road rollers, self-propelled (0.78), Containers for compressed or liquefied gas, of iron or steel (0.38), Stoves, ranges, grates, cookers (those with subsidiary boilers for central heating), barbecues, braziers, gas-rings, plate warmers and similar non-electric domestic appliances and parts, of iron or steel (0.36), and Turbines; hydraulic water wheels and regulators therefor (0.27). PCI measures the knowledge intensity of a product by considering the knowledge intensity of its exporters.
Export Opportunities by Relatedness
#permalink to sectionThe top export opportunities for Malawi according to the relatedness index, are Gold (including gold plated with platinum) unwrought or in semi-manufactured forms, or in powder form (0.12), Cocoa beans; whole or broken, raw or roasted (0.12), Palm oil and its fractions; whether or not refined, but not chemically modified (0.11), Bananas, including plantains; fresh or dried (0.1), and Manganese ores and concentrates, including ferruginous manganese ores and concentrates with a manganese content of 20% or more, calculated on the dry weight (0.1). Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product. The barchart show only products that Malawi is not specialized in.
Product Space
#permalink to sectionThe product space is a network connecting products that are likely to be co-exported. The product space can be used to predict future exports, since countries are more likely to start exporting products that are related to current exports. Relatedness measures the distance between a product, and all of the products a country currently specializes in.
Diversification Frontier
#permalink to sectionThe Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk vs strategic value of a country's potential export oppotunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth, less income inequality, and lower greenhouse emissions.
Economic Complexity Ranking
#permalink to sectionThese economic complexity rankings use 6 digit exports classified according to the HS96 classification. We consider only countries with population of at least 1 million and exports of at least $1 billion, and products with world trade over $500 million. To explore different rankings and vary these parameters visit the custom rankings section.
