Newly launched atlas details social indicators in Malawi

An atlas that details social statistics for Malawi has been released combining information and analysis of the 1998 Population and Housing Census and the 1997 to 1998 Integrated Household Survey, making it the first map on the social statistics of the country in 10 years. The atlas aims to provide insights regarding key geographic factors associated with poverty, which affects over 60 percent of the population, and to assist in the geographic targeting of programmes designed to reduce it. They include distribution data on population characteristics, health and fertility, education and literacy, cultural and economic activity and living conditions. Information revealed includes the number of people living in a household, an important indicator of general welfare, and the type of structures they live in. It notes that 72.7 percent of the population used traditional latrines, 93 percent use firewood for fuel and about 60 percent have access to a protected water source like a pump or a village well during the dry season. It also highlights findings that in areas like Nsanje and Chikwawa only half the population have toilets, and that Kasungu and Ntchisi are in greatest need of access to protected water sources. The atlas was produced as an extension of the work of the National Statistical Office and the IFPRI, carried out jointly under the Poverty Monitoring System of the government of Malawi established in 1997 to monitor the economic and social situation of the population and to analyse the impact and efficiency of poverty-oriented policies, programmes, and projects. Link to the atlas