Democracy in Malawi

Democracy Ratings

Freedom House 2018

Score:

3 out of 7

(where lower scores are more democratic)

Freedom Status:

Partly Free

EIU Democracy Index 2017

Score:

5.49 out of 10

(where higher scores are more democratic)

World Ranking:

=89

Polity IV 2016

Score:

6

(from -10 to 10, where higher scores are more democratic)

Category:

Democracy

 

Political System

System of Government Presidential
Presidential Electoral System First past the post
Last Presidential Election 2014
Next Presidential Election 2019
Presidential Term Limits Two, five-year terms
System of appointment to legislature

First past the post

Last Legislative Election

2014

Next Legislative Election

2019

Number of Seats in Legislature 194
Female quota, representation in lower house No

Results

Last presidential election (2014)
Candidate (Party) Votes (%)
1st round 2nd round not needed
Peter Mutharika 36.4
Lazarus Chakwera 27.8
Joyce Banda 20.2
Atupele Muluzi 13.7
Kamuzu Chibambo 0.4
Mark Katsonga 0.3
John Chisi 0.2
George Nnesa 0.2
James Nyondo 0.2
Hellen Singh 0.2
Friday Jumbe 0.2
Davis Katsonga 0.1

Last legislative election (2014)    
Party Votes (%) Seats
Democratic Progressive Party 21.98 51
People’s Party 18.15 26
Malawi Congress Party 17.37 48
United Democratic Front 9.63 14
Progressive Party Movement 0.66 0
Alliance for Democracy 0.62 1
United Independent Party 0.47 0
National Salvation Front 0.38 0
Nthanda Congress Party 0.32 0
New Rainbow Coalition 0.27 0
Chipani cha Pfuko 0.2 1
New Labour Party 0.09 0
Umodzi Party 0.06 0
Malawi Forum for Unity and Development 0.05 0
People’s Transformation Party 0.05 0
Maravi People’s Party 0.01 0
People’s Democratic Movement 0.01 0
Independents 29.68 52

Malawi on DiA

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23 January 2023

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How popular is China in Africa? And how do people think about its role?

23 September 2021

Folashade Soule & Edem E. Selormey

How to Revive Africa's Lost Civic Spaces

11 December 2020

Gbenga Sesan

PODCAST: Democracy in times of crisis

1 May 2020

Democracy in Africa

Is presidentialism a bad thing?

7 October 2019

Democracy in Africa

Why some African Autocrats love Political Decentralization

23 February 2018

Lovise Aalen and Ragnhild Louise Muriaas

Democracy in Africa: Lessons from Malawi

21 December 2015

Democracy in Africa

Joyce Banda's regime: Business (and politics) as usual

25 September 2014

Democracy in Africa

Corruption and the cabinet in Malawi

4 April 2014

Nic Cheeseman