Today Malawi has a population of some 11.6 million people and is one of the ten poorest countries in the world. 90% of its people live in rural areas making a living through farming growing crops such as beans, tobacco, peanuts, maize and tea. The official language of Malawi is English (although many people, particularly in rural areas, speak Chichewa), its currency is the Kwacha, and its people are made up from various cultures.

These include the Chewa people who live in the central area, the Nyanja people in the south, the Tumbuko people in the north along with the Tonga, the Ngoni and Ngonde people who live in the lower northern and lower central regions of Malawi and the mainly Muslim Yao who live on the border with Mozambique. Other Malawi people include the Lomwe and Sena as well as people of European and Asian descent, however this latter group is mainly confined to city areas.

The people of Malawi are predominantly Christian with 55% being Protestant, 20% being Roman Catholic and a similar figure 20% being Muslim. Unlike many other African countries indigenous beliefs account for only 3% of the population whilst just 2% are classified as 'other.' People in Malawi, outside of urban areas, typically live in huts with their extended families, and its traditional to share out work and resources between family members.