FSCI Indicators Breakdown
The Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) is a collaborative interdisciplinary effort to monitor global food systems. The FSCI developed a framework that includes five themes: (1) diets, nutrition, and health; (2) environment, natural resources, and production; (3) livelihoods, poverty, and equity; (4) governance; and (5) resilience and identified 50 indicators across these themes. This page presents national level data for these 50 indicators for Malawi.
Malawi income group: Low Income
Comparison
Malawi
Eastern Africa
World
Diets, Nutrition, and Health
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Malawi
3.03
Eastern Africa
3.15
World
3.32
PPP dollar/capita/day
Cost of a healthy diet per capita
3.03 PPP dollar/capita/day
Per-person cost of the least expensive locally available foods to meet daily needs, based on food-based dietary guidelines
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
89%
Eastern Africa
73%
World
37%
Percent of the population who cannot afford a healthy diet
89%
Share of the population whose food budget is less than the cost of a healthy diet
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
442.2
Eastern Africa
202.5
World
256.7
g/capita/day
Availability of fruits
442.2 g/capita/day
Amount of fruits—an underconsumed yet highly nutritious food group—available in a country’s food supply per capita per day
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
233.8
Eastern Africa
146.2
World
278.9
g/capita/day
Availability of vegetables
233.8 g/capita/day
Amount of vegetables—an underconsumed yet highly nutritious food group—available in a country’s food supply per capita per day
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
10%
Eastern Africa
18%
World
68%
Percent of the population using safely managed drinking water services
10%
Share of the population that gets drinking water from an improved source, providing the clean water essential for food security (SDG 6.1.1)
2022
Malawi
0.1
Eastern Africa
2.4
World
155.1
current PPP dollar/capita/year
Retail value (total sales) of ultra-processed foods per capita
0.1 current PPP dollar/capita/year
Annual perperson sales of ultra-processed foods, which are known to be associated with poor health outcomes
2021
Malawi
53%
Eastern Africa
53%
World
66%
MDD-W: Minimum dietary diversity for women
53%
Share of women who consumed at least the minimum recommended food groups the previous day, which makes it more likely they consume adequate micronutrients
2022
Malawi
26%
Eastern Africa
29%
World
39%
All-5: Consumption of all five food groups
26%
Share of the adult population consuming all five food groups typically recommended for daily consumption
2022
Malawi
3.6
Eastern Africa
3.5
World
3.8
NCD-Protect
3.6
Average score for adults on an indicator of dietary practices protective against noncommunicable diseases, like eating enough fiber, on a scale from 0 to 9
2022
Malawi
1.2
Eastern Africa
1.3
World
2.1
NCD-Risk
1.2
Average score for adults on an indicator of dietary practices known to raise the risk of noncommunicable diseases, like eating too much sugar, on a scale from 0 to 9
2022
Malawi
8%
Eastern Africa
11%
World
11%
Adults: Zero fruit or vegetable consumption
8%
Share of adults who did not consume any fruits or vegetables the previous day
2022
Malawi
10%
Eastern Africa
20%
World
19%
Adults: Soft drink consumption
10%
Share of adults who consumed a sugar-sweetened soft drink, which are generally known to be unhealthy, during the previous day
2022
Malawi
18%
Eastern Africa
28%
World
11%
POU: Prevalence of undernourishment
18%
Share of the population that goes hungry—that is, lacks enough calories for a healthy, active life (SDG 2.1.1)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
82%
Eastern Africa
65%
World
29%
Percent of the population experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity
82%
Share of the population experiencing food insecurity, measured according to the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) (SDG 2.1.2)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
23%
Eastern Africa
22%
World
32%
MDD (IYCF): Minimum dietary diversity for infants and young children
23%
Share of young children who consumed at least the minimum recommended food groups the previous day, which makes it more likely they consume adequate micronutrients
2015
Source: UNICEF
Malawi
23
Eastern Africa
42
World
39
% population 6-23 months
Children (6-23 months): Zero fruit or vegetable consumption
23% population 6-23 months
Share of young children who did not consume any fruits or vegetables the previous day
2015
Source: UNICEF
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Environment, natural resources, and production
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Malawi
0.2
Eastern Africa
0.2
World
0.4
tonnes/ha
Cereals yield
0.2 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
1.6
Eastern Africa
0.7
World
1.4
tonnes/ha
Fruit yield
1.6 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
1.3
Eastern Africa
0.9
World
2
tonnes/ha
Vegetable yield
1.3 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
4,446
Eastern Africa
4,819.9
World
22,628.8
100 g/animal
Cow's milk yield
4,446 100 g/animal
Yield, or production per animal (100 g per animal)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
107.1
Eastern Africa
147.7
World
221
kg/animal
Beef yield
107.1 kg/animal
Yield, or production per animal (100 g per animal)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Eastern Africa
7.8
World
21.2
Fishery health index progress score
No Data
An indicator summarizing the availability and sustainability of fish, which are at risk of overfishing or environmental degradation
Source: Minderoo Foundation
Malawi
19,286.4
Eastern Africa
45,213.8
World
83,692.6
kT CO2eq
Agri-food systems greenhouse gas emissions
19,286.4 kT CO2eq
Malawi
0.3
Eastern Africa
0.2
World
0.2
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for cereals (excluding rice)
0.3 kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2 equivalents) per kilogram produced of cereals (excluding rice)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
1.8
Eastern Africa
1.8
World
1.1
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for rice
1.8 kg CO2eq/kg product
Malawi
3.2
Eastern Africa
3.5
World
1
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for cow's milk
3.2 kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2 equivalents) per kilogram produced of cow's milk
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
40.8
Eastern Africa
64.9
World
28.3
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for beef
40.8 kg CO2eq/kg product
Malawi
1
Eastern Africa
1
World
0
% change
Cropland area change
1% change
Average percentage change in cropland over the previous five years; expanding cropland is a major driver of biodiversity and ecosystem service loss and greenhouse gas emissions
2021
Source: FSCI
Malawi
24
Eastern Africa
52
World
43
% agricultural land
Functional integrity: Agricultural land with minimum level of natural habitat
24% agricultural land
Percentage of agricultural land area with enough semi-natural or natural habitat, relative to the amount of cropland or rangeland, to maintain biodiversity and functioning ecosystems
2015
Source: DeClerck et al. 2021
Malawi
7%
Eastern Africa
6%
World
17%
Agriculture water withdrawal as percent of total renewable water resources
7%
Water withdrawn for irrigation each year, as a percentage of the total renewable water resources available
2020
Source: AQUASTAT
Malawi
0.3
Eastern Africa
0.4
World
2.3
kg/ha
Pesticide use per area of cropland
0.3 kg/ha
The use of pesticides per area of cropland (kg active ingredient per hectare); pesticide use can cause pollution and harm health
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Livelihoods, Poverty, and Equity
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Malawi
26
Eastern Africa
25
World
4
% GDP
Share of agriculture in GDP
26% GDP
Percentage of a country’s GDP derived from agriculture, a measure of the level of economic development of the country
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
1
Eastern Africa
3
World
4
% working age population
Unemployment rate (Rural)
1% working age population
Eastern Africa
14
World
6
% working age population
Underemployment rate (Rural)
No Data
Percentage of working-age people in rural areas who are underemployed (i.e., worked fewer hours than expected)
Source: ILO
Malawi
38
Eastern Africa
18
World
58
% population
Social protection coverage
38% population
Percentage of people who live in households that benefit from social protection programs, like cash transfers and health insurance
2019
Source: World Bank
Malawi
10
Eastern Africa
12
World
23
% welfare of beneficiary households
Social protection adequacy
10% welfare of beneficiary households
An indicator showing the extent to which social protection is sufficient to meet household needs
2019
Source: World Bank
Malawi
10
Eastern Africa
18
World
8
% children 5-17
Percent of children 5-17 years engaged in child labor
10% children 5-17
Percentage of children ages 5–17 who are engaged in child labor, the majority of which is known to be in the food system and specifically in agriculture
2020
Source: UNICEF
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Governance
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Malawi
0.9
Eastern Africa
0.7
World
0.6
Civil society participation index
0.9
An indicator capturing the level of participation in civil society organizations
2022
Source: Varieties of Democracy
Malawi
0%
Eastern Africa
5%
World
8%
Percent of the urban population living in cities signed onto the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact
0%
Percentage of the urban population that lives in cities signed on to the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, suggesting prioritization of food issues in urban planning
2020
Degree of legal recognition of the right to food
No Data
Presence of a national food system transformation pathway
No Data
Malawi
-0.8
Eastern Africa
-0.7
World
0
Government effectiveness index
-0.8
An index capturing the perception of how effective the government is in making and enforcing policies and providing services
2022
Source: World Governance Indicators
Malawi
20
Eastern Africa
49.2
World
69.5
Food safety capacity
20
Whether functioning mechanisms exist to detect and respond to foodborne disease issues, measured as the percentage of a set of criteria met
2020
Source: WHO Global Health Observatory
Presence of national health-related food environment policies
No Data
Whether the country has any health-related food taxes, which are used to discourage consumption of unhealthy foods
Malawi
1.1
Eastern Africa
0.3
World
0.2
V-Dem accountability index
1.1
An index capturing the extent to which the government is seen as being accountable for its actions
2022
Source: Varieties of Democracy
Malawi
20
Eastern Africa
28.1
World
43
Open budget index score
20
A score based on how easily the public can access information about how the government raises and spends money
2021
Source: International Budget Partnership
Guarantees for public access to information
No Data
Whether the country has and implements guarantees for access to information (SDG 16.10.2)
Source: Sustainable Development Goals
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Resilience
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Ratio of total damages from all disasters to GDP
No Data
Cost of all damage from natural disasters, as a percentage of GDP
Source: EM-DAT
Malawi
0.6
Eastern Africa
0.7
World
0.7
Dietary sourcing flexibility index
0.6
An index capturing the diversity of pathways through which food reaches consumers, indicating how difficult it is to disrupt the food supply
2019
Source:
FAO
Malawi
60.1
Eastern Africa
81.4
World
110.1
Number per 100 people
Mobile cellular subscriptions
60.1 Number per 100 people
Number of mobile phone subscriptions as a percentage of the population, indicating the level of infrastructure and access to information to respond to shocks
2022
Malawi
0.3
Eastern Africa
0.4
World
0.5
Social capital index
0.3
An index for the social capital in the country—how much people feel they can trust and can rely on their government and one another
2021
Source: Legatum InstituteFSCI
Malawi
99
Eastern Africa
32
World
25
% agricultural land
Proportion of agricultural land with minimum level of species diversity (crop and pasture)
99% agricultural land
Percentage of agricultural land (crop and pasture) containing a sufficient diversity of species, which helps cope with shocks and changes
2020
Source:
Jones et al. 2021
Malawi
3,253
Eastern Africa
27,665.9
World
163,165.1
Number of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities
3,253
Number of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in medium- or long-term conservation facilities (SDG 2.5.1)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
0
Eastern Africa
1.7
World
3.8
Number of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities
0
Number of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in medium- or long-term conservation facilities (SDG 2.5.1)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Malawi
0.5
Eastern Africa
0.3
World
0.4
Prevalence of severe coping strategies
0.5
Percentage of high-risk populations who need to rely on extreme strategies to cope with food insecurity
2022
Source:
WFP
Malawi
0.6
Eastern Africa
0.7
World
0.7
Food price volatility
0.6
Malawi
19
Eastern Africa
37
World
32.2
kcal/capita/day
Food supply variability per capita
19 kcal/capita/day
How much the food supply (in calories per person per day) varies over time, indicating how well the food system can respond to shocks
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Less Desirable
More Desirable