By Wezzie Gausi:
The 2024 Malawi African Peer Review Report has described Malawi’s poverty levels as severe.
It further indicates that there has been little progress made to recover from it, with other sub- Saharan Africa countries making headway over the past 15 years.
At the launch of the report in Lilongwe Wednesday, South African Institute of International Affairs Programme Head Steven Gruzd noted that this is a slight improvement from 2010, when it was at 52.42 percent.
- Advertisement -
He added that nearly 73 percent of Malawians live below the international poverty line of $1.90 a day.
- Advertisement -
“Poverty is particularly prevalent in the country’s rural areas. Some 57 percent of the rural population lives below the national poverty line, compared to 19 percent of the urban population.
“Geographically, the Central Region has, at 55.8 percent, the highest percentage of people living in poverty, followed by the Southern Region at 51.0 percent, and the Northern Region at 32.9 percent,” Gruzd said.
On his part, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Peer Review Process Chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba said while extreme poverty has decreased in urban areas, it remains stable in rural areas.
He noted that Malawi’s economic performance has, since the 1990s, been mixed.
- Advertisement -
“In the 2000s, Malawi registered positive GDP [gross domestic product] growth, outperforming sub- Saharan Africa and its LDC [least developed countries] peers. Although the growth rate has dropped over the past decade, Malawi still performed better than sub-Saharan Africa,” Mkwezalamba stated.
Presidential Adviser on CSOs Martha Kwataine acknowledged the report’s insights, stating that the government is working hard to address the challenges faced by the population.
“We are grateful for this report, which will act as a mirror as we continue implementing various development projects in the country.
“The government cannot achieve economic growth alone; we need support from CSOs and other stakeholders,” Kwataine said.
Malawi joined the African Peer Review Mechanism in 2004.
