The main report by National Statistical Office (NSO) on the 2018 Population and Housing Census (PHC) has disclosed that Malawi has approximately 17, 563, 749 people, which reflects an average annual growth rate of 2.9 per cent.

NSO presented the results of the 2018 population census on Friday in Lilongwe during the official launch of the 2018 PHC report.

Secretary to Treasury, Cliff Chiunda, bemoaned the population increase, saying it would strain the limited resources.

“The increased population growth is putting pressure on the environment, thereby causing erratic weather patterns leading to subsequent reduction in crop production and precarious food insecurity,” explained Chiunda.

Chiunda commended NSO for conducting a one-of-its-kind successful electronic census through the use of Computer-Assisted Personal Interview gadgets (CAPI).

NSO Commissioner of Statistics, Mercy Kanyuka, described the census results as crucial to government policy formulation, plan development initiatives and guide allocation of various social services.

“We call upon the government, development partners and the private sector to continue providing the much-needed support for generating quality and reliable official results,” appealed Kanyuka.

In her remarks, United Nations Resident Coordinator, Maria Jose Torres, acknowledged the importance of the census in addressing development challenges such as inequalities in the allocation of resources.

“Continued investment in human capital is linked to improved access to health, education and other important service delivery programs,” said Torres.

The 2018 PHC was conducted from September 3 to September 23 with support from Malawi Government, the Royal Norwegian Embassy, GIZ of the German government, United Nations and Standard Bank.