Malawi is a multilingual country. Although English is the official language, the 2008 Census reports that only 26 percent of the population above the age of 14 is able to speak English. Other major languages spoken in Malawi include: Chewa, Yao, Tonga, Sena, and Elomwe. The maps, documents, and datasets below provide information about languages spoken throughout the country.
Curated datasets
Available on Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX)
Language data allows humanitarian organizations to better understand the languages people speak and understand, leading to better programming and accountability. We’re working with University College London’s Centre for Translation Studies and others to make language data more easily accessible and usable.
For more information, read about the project on our blog or contact [email protected].
Maps and resources:
Malawi Languages Map: Static (EN)
Static map highlighting the most common languages spoken in Malawi. Data is from the 1998 census.
Malawi Languages Map: Interactive (EN)
Interactive map highlighting the most common languages spoken in Malawi. Data is from the 1998 census.