Military profile
Malawi Military Strength
Malawi is not covered by the Global Firepower ranking. It spent $163 million on its military in 2025 (1.1% of GDP).
Malawi armed forces in numbers
Finance
- Military spending
- $163 million#132 of 156
- Military spending as % of GDP
- 1.1%#106 of 156
Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).
Malawi military spending 2010–2025
Military spending of Malawi grew by 226% between 2010 and 2025, from $50 million to $163 million (current US dollars), and stood at 1.1% of GDP in 2025.
Armed forces of Malawi
Branches and forces
Malawi Defense Force (MDF): Malawi Army (Land Forces), Malawi Maritime Force (MMF), Malawi Air Force (MAF), Malawi National Service (MNS) Ministry of Homeland Security: Malawi Police Service (2025)
Personnel
estimated 10,000 active Malawi Defense Forces (2025)
Service age and conscription
18-24 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service (2025)
Equipment and suppliers
the MDF's inventory is comprised of mostly older or secondhand armaments originating from such countries as China, France, Israel, South Africa, and the UK (2025)
Deployments abroad
750 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2025)
Good to know
the MDF’s primary responsibility is external security; it is also tasked as necessary with providing support to civilian authorities during emergencies, supporting the Police Service, protecting national forest reserves, and participating in regional peacekeeping missions, as well as assisting with infrastructure development; key areas of concern include border security, regional conflict, and international terrorism; the MDF participates in exercises with foreign partners and contributes regularly to African Union and UN peace support operations; Malawi contributes regularly to African Union and UN peace support operations the MDF was established in 1964 from elements of the Kings African Rifles (KAR), a British colonial regiment raised from Great Britain's various possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s; the KAR conducted both military and internal security functions within the colonial territories, and served outside the territories during the World Wars (2025)
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
2024: 0.8% · 2023: 1% · 2022: 0.8% · 2021: 0.9% · 2020: 0.9%
Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).
Malawi compared with its neighbours
| Country | Strength rank | Military spending |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | — | $163 million |
 Mozambique | #112 | $468 million |
 Zambia | #89 | $406 million |
 Tanzania | #101 | $1.0 billion |