Moving to Malawi from Zimbabwe
What to Expect
Considering a move from Zimbabwe to Malawi? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Zimbabwe to Malawi.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Zimbabwe to Malawi.
Who's moving to Malawi?
Top countries of origin for Malawi's foreign-born residents.
- 40,131
- 31,375
- 27,773
-
4.27,221
Zimbabwe
- 10,079
- 7,041
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Malawi compared to Zimbabwe.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malawi performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Zimbabwe generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malawi leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Malawi performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
Zimbabwe generally does better on infrastructure, though Malawi leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Zimbabwe generally does better on employment & economy, though Malawi leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Zimbabwe generally does better on family life, though Malawi leads in life expectancy.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Harare | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Harare | Lilongwe |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) |
| Feb | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) |
| Mar | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) |
| Apr | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) |
| May | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) |
| Sep | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) |
| Oct | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) |
| Nov | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) |
| Dec | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Services Department,
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe and Malawi. To live, work, or study long-term in Malawi, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Malawi's immigration authority.
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Malawi
Visa Free
Malawi passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Malawi?
Connectivity is usually fine (Malawi: 0.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Malawi offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Malawi safe for expats?
Malawi performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Malawi is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.7 in Zimbabwe.
How is healthcare in Malawi compared to Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malawi leads in adult obesity rate. There are 0.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Malawi, compared to 1.7 in Zimbabwe. Malawi scores 48 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).
What's the weather like in Malawi compared to Zimbabwe?
The average high temperature in Lilongwe is 75°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Lilongwe receives around 50.7 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 in.
What language do they speak in Malawi?
The official languages in Malawi are Chewa and English. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.
Compare further: Zimbabwe vs. Malawi
At a Glance
ZW
|
MW
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,121,004 | 20,794,353 |
| Currency | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) | Malawian Kwacha (MWK) |
| Languages | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language | Chewa, English |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +263 | +265 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 999 | — |