Malawi registers mixed SDG progress

Malawi has found itself in a maze where it is implementing development programmes at an increasing pace, but failing to translate the gains fast enough into economic growth, jobs and improved livelihoods.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said in the Malawi Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Comprehensive Review 2026 disseminated in Lilongwe yesterday that while progress in areas such as health, water and sanitation and governance is visible, stagnation in poverty reduction, decent work, clean energy, inequality and protection of land ecosystems erodes the gains.

National Planning Commission (NPC) director general Fredrick Changaya, whose agency monitors implementation of Malawi 2063 (MW2063) long-term development strategy, said the data stresses the need for Malawi to accelerate structural economic transformation.

“Poverty is a cross-cutting element. Our population is growing at 2.6 percent while our GDP [gross domestic product] is growing at two percent. This already tells you that poverty will increase,” he said.

The findings have exposed a widening gap between what Malawi is implementing and the development programmes being delivered ahead of the SDGs target of 2030.

The review has incorporated Malawi’s Third Voluntary National Review and first Country-Led Evaluation. It provides a fresh assessment of progress towards the SDGs using updated national data and broadly echoes concerns from earlier national assessments that Malawi is struggling to translate implementation into economic transformation.

Adda-Dontoh presents the report to Chief Secretary to the Government Justin Saidi.

| Courtesy of UNDP

Further, the review shows that poverty remains high, with 47.3 percent of Malawians living below the national poverty line in 2025, down only modestly from 50.7 percent in 2019/20.

The burden is heavier in rural areas, where poverty stands at 52.6 percent, compared with 20.9 percent in urban areas.

On the other hand, real GDP grew by 1.9 percent in 2025, below population growth of about 2.6 percent while the labour market presents another major obstacle to achieving the 2030 goals with 38.8 percent of the working-age population employed and 91.5 percent of them working in the informal sector.

Youth unemployment is at 24.1 percent, while 39.4 percent of young people are not in employment, education or training, according to the report.

The review consequently recorded no progress on SDG 1 on poverty, SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy, SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, SDG 10 on reduced inequalities and SDG 15 on life on land.

Notable gains highlighted include improved access to safe water, which reached 89 percent in 2024, skilled birth attendance at 96 percent from 89 percent in 2016 and under-five mortality that fell to 48 deaths per 1 000 live births from 63.

But in an interview on the sidelines of the launch, Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe cautioned that some of the gains could be difficult to sustain as external financing becomes increasingly unpredictable.

“Government needs to increase domestic investment in health, improve efficiency and accountability and explore innovative financing mechanisms, including a proposed National Health Fund, while working towards the Abuja health-financing commitment,” he said.

Jobe also cautioned against measuring health progress by access alone, saying facilities can have skilled health workers but still lack medicines, equipment, adequate staffing, water, electricity and functioning referral systems.

Commenting on shortfalls in education targets, Civil Society Education Coalition executive director Benedicto Kondowe said low primary school completion rates reflect dropout, repetition, poverty, inadequate infrastructure, teacher shortages and weak learner support.

He said teenage pregnancies and early marriages further undermine girls’ education.

“The real test of educational progress is not how many children enter Standard One, but how many complete primary education with the knowledge and competencies necessary to progress,” said Kondowe.

The review reported moderate progress on zero hunger, quality education, gender equality, industry and infrastructure, climate action and partnerships.

Secretary for Economic Planning and Development Patrick Kabambe said the mixed performance demonstrates the interconnected nature of the SDGs and the need to focus resources on areas where progress is lagging.

“When we are planning projects or programmes, we need to take into account what we are doing well and redouble our efforts on areas where we are not doing well,” he said.

Kabambe acknowledged that government institutions had previously been “working in silos” and called for a whole-of-government approach.

The review said 84.2 percent of communities were affected by disasters in the three years preceding the assessment, while disaster-related economic losses reached $506.7 million in 2023/24.

Changaya said Malawi has only four years left to 2030 and must, therefore, strengthen coordination, accountability and implementation.

He proposed embedding SDG and MW2063 First 10-Year Implementation Plan (MIP-1) targets in controlling officers’ performance contracts to ensure that those responsible for implementation are held accountable for results.

“If we don’t hold each other to account, I can assure you, come 2030, we will talk the same story that we did,” said Changaya.

Taking a radical approach, he proposed a structural shift in agriculture towards high-value crops and value chains in areas such as pharmaceuticals, tyres, batteries and light engineering.

“Let’s stop growing maize and a few other crops that yield us less return,” said Changaya.

The SDG report comes after MIP-1 progress assessment in January this year showed that 87 percent of planned interventions were rolled out, but only 40 percent were on track to meet targets.

In 2024, NPC reported that implementation of planned MIP-1 interventions had improved to 44 percent from 20 percent in 2022, but warned that progress remained below target because of factors such as financing constraints, limited capacity and implementation weaknesses.

UNDP’s 2025 report on SDGs showed that Malawi achieved 20.9 percent of the targets adopted in 2015.

The purpose of the SDGs, which have a deadline of 2030, is to provide a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

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