180 countries ranked by safety, peace, freedom and LGBT+ equality
Visiting: RecommendedLGBT+ visiting: Not Recommended
'The warm heart of Africa' sounds like tourist-board fluff until you've been. Lake Malawi has more fish species than any lake on earth and you can dive it, Liwonde does safaris by boat, and Mount Mulanje looms over the tea estates. It's one of the region's gentler, steadier countries too. But homosexuality is illegal, and that's a dealbreaker for LGBT+ travellers.
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
Malawi: 1.9
Ranked 62nd in the world for the lowest homicide rate.
An estimated 1.9 homicides per 100,000 people — a low rate by world standards. The 2021 estimate is the freshest figure that exists.
Lower than 66% of the 230 countries and territories measured.
How peaceful the country is — lower is better.
Malawi: 2.0
Ranked 88th most peaceful country in the world.
More peaceful than 56% of the 163 countries ranked, scoring 1.955.
Climbed 14 places since 2024 — one of the year's bigger rises.
Personal and economic freedom — higher is better.
Malawi: 6.6
Ranked 83rd least free country in the world.
Less free than 56% of the 165 countries measured — 6.63 out of 10.
Day-to-day life (speech, movement, religion) scores 7.69; doing business and owning property, 5.14.
LGBT+ equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
Malawi: Illegal
Ranked 55th least equal in the world for LGBT+ people.
Homosexuality is criminalised here, with a maximum penalty of fourteen years imprisonment with corporal punishment.
Public attitudes score 5 out of 100 — the law and public opinion are not the same thing.