Malawi at its true size

Malawi covers 118,484 km², number 101 of 235 by area. Home to 22,216,120 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.

Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
Area118,484 km² Wikidata
Population22,216,120 World Bank, 2025
Density188 per km²
CapitalLilongwe
RegionEastern Africa, Africa
StatusIndependent state
CoastLandlocked
CodesMW · MWI · 454

Countries of a similar size

How many times does Malawi fit into…

Neighbours

Questions about Malawi

How big is Malawi?
Malawi covers 118,484 km², which makes it number 101 of 235 countries and territories by area. About 22,216,120 people live there (2025), 188 per km².
Is Malawi bigger than Eritrea?
Malawi and Eritrea are almost exactly the same size. Malawi: 118,484 km²; Eritrea: 117,600 km².
How much does the Mercator map distort Malawi?
Malawi lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
Which countries border Malawi?
Malawi shares a land border with Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia.