Chief proposes child control in Malawi

Senior Chief Dzoole from Dowa district has advocated for Parliamentarians to engage in discussions and formulate a law on family planning to address what he refers to as rapid population growth in Malawi.

The chief noted that Malawi is currently experiencing considerable socio-economic and environmental challenges due to this swift population increase, particularly as many families in rural regions do not limit the number of children they have.

He expressed these views today in Dowa during the installation ceremony of Group Village Headman Kamwana, where he also called on chiefs to take initiative in combating child marriages within their communities.

Additionally, the chief cautioned his community against the indiscriminate sale of land, warning that such actions could jeopardize future generations’ access to land for settlement and agriculture.

In response, Group Village Headman Kamwana acknowledged the timeliness of this call and committed to collaborating with fellow chiefs to actively promote the importance of education for children.

Malawi’s population stands at 22,862,838, according to Worldometer’s analysis of the latest United Nations data.

The estimated population for Malawi in mid-2026 is 22,785,535.

Malawi’s population accounts for 0.27% of the global population, ranking it 62nd among countries and dependencies by population size.

The population density in Malawi is 242 individuals per square kilometer (626 people per square mile), with a total land area of 94,280 square kilometers (36,402 square miles).

Urban residents make up 20.2% of the population, totaling 4,612,145 people in 2026.