Poverty in Malawi. The challenges of being the poorest country in the world in 2017

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10+ Challenges of Poverty in Malawi

Poverty in Malawi is very high than in any other country in the world. The country is one of the smallest on earth but with the fastest growing population.

The population of 16 million people has an economy which is agricultural based. Agriculture contribute about 30{5808e1736132a1fa864f6fc8b64688fbc0d5d9b8c9ab44aea1223eff99f9c2e7} of the GDP .

About 85{5808e1736132a1fa864f6fc8b64688fbc0d5d9b8c9ab44aea1223eff99f9c2e7} of this ever increasing population leaves in rural areas surviving on subsistence farming. Most of the people in the rural village fail to grow enough crops to feed them through the year.

Poverty in Malawi is high such that over 53{5808e1736132a1fa864f6fc8b64688fbc0d5d9b8c9ab44aea1223eff99f9c2e7} percent of the population lives below the international poverty line.

The 53{5808e1736132a1fa864f6fc8b64688fbc0d5d9b8c9ab44aea1223eff99f9c2e7} fail to earn $1.25 a day. Due to the worsening poverty in Malawi, 30{5808e1736132a1fa864f6fc8b64688fbc0d5d9b8c9ab44aea1223eff99f9c2e7} of children do not start primary school. And a higher number of children do not proceed with their education to secondary school and college to lack of tuition fees.

The rising levels of poverty in Malawi have adverse impact on health care. According to World Health Organization there is one doctor for every 50,000 individuals (1:50 000). There are over one million orphans. Life expectancy is short, it is 63 years.

Another challenge facing Malawi is on environmental protection. The environment has been polluted due to overpopulation which increases pressure on natural resources. Consequently, people are experiencing floods due heavy rainfall.

Malawi is the least developed country in the world. According to Gazette Review, Malawi is on number one of the top poorest countries in 2017. It has GDP Per Capita of $226.50, seconded by Burundi with a GDP Per Capita of $26.10.

The economy for Malawi was from past years largely dependent on aid from World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other donors. So Malawi faces the challenge to achieve economic dependence.

Malawi received its independence from colonial rule in 1964. Then in the years to come it become it adopted the multiparty system of government. Local currency is called Malawi Kwacha (MK). While some improvements have been made in some areas, the impact is minimal.  

As the majority still struggle to access basic necessities of life like clean water, food, and education.  Insufficient energy generation is also key challenge which is affecting negatively the economy of the country. The impact of frequent electricity blackouts have driven out both small and large business out of the Market. High costs of transportation and lack of diversification are also major challenges.

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