A majority of Malawi’s citizenry say the country is headed in the wrong direction and its economic condition is bad, with almost half describing the economy as “very bad,” according to an Afrobarometer analysis.
Results from Afrobarometer’s most recent national survey, conducted in late 2019, show that Malawians’ perceptions of their country’s economic life continue to be bleak. Regardless of their gender, location, age, education, socioeconomic status, and political party affiliation, citizens see the country as headed in the wrong direction, and most citizens describe the national economy and their personal living conditions as bad.
Most Malawians also rate the government’s performance as poor on economic issues, suggesting it must look for new strategies to end the country’s economic malaise.
Malawi is among the poorest countries in the world; about half of its population lives below the poverty line. Heavily dependent on agriculture, its economy is susceptible to climate and other shocks.