Malawi’s poor becoming more destitute – UN report
Poverty in Malawi is extensive and deepening with life expectancy for Malawians now stands at 63.7 from the previous 63.8 mark, a latest United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI) report has revealed.
The report shows that people’s living standards stagnated in 2017 and categorised the country in the low human development category, with an HDI value ranking of 171 out of 189 countries and territories assessed.
Malawi has made “a very slight increase” in HDI, based on the report, which suggests is an indication of the challenges ahead .
This year’s report indicates that poverty in Malawi is worsening , not only in rural areas, but also im urban areas.
The report also indicates that on a positive note, between 1990 and 2017, Malawi’s HDI value increased by 40.2 percent, up from 0.340 to 0.477 but says the country, however, remains below the average of 0.504 for countries in the low human development group
The UNDP findings collarets with the findings of the data from the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (Unctad) which also indicates that 71 percent of Malawians are living in extreme poverty despite increased public spending on health and education, which are Malawi’s priority areas.
Malawi’s poverty levels are high in rural areas with a headcount ratio of 58 percent while in the urban areas, poverty headcount ratio stood at roughly about 20 percent, according to Unctad report.
The second Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) review found that Malawi failed to reduce poverty and worsened deprivation in urban areas with the urban poverty which between 2010 and 2013 surged 8.3 percent from 17.9 percent to 26.2 percent.
Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Developmnent Goodall Gondwe, said government is doing its best to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, by, among other things, using taxation and introducing poverty reduction programmes.
He faulted economics for not coming up with a concrete universally accepted theory for tackling the question of growing inequality.
Ndiye azigogo a DPP aziti we have made progress. Mxiiiii Nkhule zawo
What does the President have to say about this report? The Minister of Finance, G Gondwe, is laying the blame at the door of economics! Can you believe it! And the DPP want another five years in power, to do what? The President seems to think the answer to Malawi’s problems lies with China! Many villagers have radios which they listen to and believe. Why isn’t this mass medium used to educate the masses? The people need to be taught to think about their lives and to question the politicians who are doing little or nothings to improve them. The… Read more »
The problem with Malawi is that the majority are in the villages. They don’t produce anything except babies and they are very unintelligent. Yet they are the ones who determine who gets voted into power.
Point of correction!
I don’t think the locals/rural people are not intelligent!! The problem is that those who know what and how to economically improve prefer to give handouts instead of orienting people on how to fish and expand their economic activities. Mbuli ndi zimene zikuyendetsa thumba la chitukuko muno m’Malawi osati anthu!! Akanakhala kuti they are not intelligent sakanatha kusoka mphasa, mikeka etc zomwe iwe ndi ine sitingathe chifukwa nafenso palibe amene anatiphunzitsa!
Just sell this shithole to the Chinese. Maybe they’ll know what to do with it.
Any comment from Noxy , pathfinder, Lilian , silica and othe members of the blue orchestra?. 5 years wasted. Add to that they want another tenure? For what for a God sake?. . And what will DPP do? Condemn and fault the report or shovel the blame to others. Sickening and disgusting.
Wamva Santana and you dirty party! Kuteroko mumva dzimbayambaya zina kuti “zabodza” fotseki!! Mudzikhala ndi umunthu chonde osamangodzikonda!! Ngati mwalephela zaka 4 ndiye muziti we want to develop Malawi to the level of “Europe” nde Europe wake wa ufititu za mkutu!! Chonde dzikondani anthu amene Mulungu wakuptsani kuti muwatsogolele pogwiritsa ntchito ndalama za mitsonkho moyenela kuti apeze zimene zikuwasowa. Mulungu yemwe anakupatsani udindo sakondwela ngati anthu ake akuzinzika m’mene ziliri pa Malawi mu!! Chonde siyani kuchita ndale pa nkhani yokhudza miyoyo ya anthu!! Koma mumva posachedwapa kuchokela ku UNGA kukupita enaku kuti ena anena kuti Malawi has developed beyond recognition!… Read more »
Each passing year, it is the same old story about how poor Malawi has become. the reality is that People can never become rich through hand outs. As a nation, we need an ideology/philosophy that should help the poor feed themselves. We also need to understand how poor people remain poor, how poor people cash on poverty and therefore refuse any assistance that would help them get out of poverty.
Most critically politicians have have poverty of vision. In fact to be blunt we Malawians are the problem; we keep voting/electing wrong people in key positions and then blame them for not delivering on their promises. We do this every 5 years and in some we vote in the very same people/parties that are causing so much harm to human life. Ordinary Malawians are complicit in the poverty ravaging the country. If indeed 71% of the population is living in extreme poverty then we are in big trouble. There’s no way the economy will jump start with only 29% of… Read more »
DPP MUST GO…!!! DPP MUST GO…!!! DPP MUST GO…!!!
How can Malawi improve when the head of state can be corrupted with sums as little as US$145,000?