Malawi is slightly bigger by total area compared to Bulgaria: 45,747 sq mi vs 42,855 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Bulgaria is 41,915 sq mi vs 36,402 sq mi for Malawi — a 1.15 times difference in territory size.
- Bulgaria ranks 103/197 by total surface area vs 98/197 for Malawi.
- Bulgaria occupies 0.07% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.06% for Malawi.
- 46.1% of Bulgaria's area is agricultural land vs 64.2% in Malawi.
- Bulgaria has 0.1% of the world's agricultural land area — Malawi has 0.13%.
- 36.2% of Bulgaria is covered by forests, compared to 22.4% in Malawi.
- 0.1% of the world's forests are in Bulgaria, and 0.05% are in Malawi.
Total size and land area comparison
Bulgaria
|
Malawi
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
42,855 sq mi |
45,747 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 1 | 1.07 |
| Total area rank | 103/197 | 98/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Land area |
41,915 sq mi |
36,402 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 1.15 | 1 |
| Land area rank | 101/197 | 107/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.07% | 0.06% |
| Population | 6,441,421 | 21,655,286 |
| Population density | 151.7 ppl/mi² | 626 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
Bulgaria
|
Malawi
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
15,182 sq mi |
8,169 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 36.2% | 22.4% |
| Forest area rank | 77/196 | 106/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.1% | 0.05% |
Agricultural land area
|
19,317 sq mi |
23,359 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 46.1% | 64.2% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 88/194 | 82/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.1% | 0.13% |
|
Arable land
|
13,462 sq mi |
15,444 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 32.1% | 42.4% |
| Arable land area rank | 64/191 | 59/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
525 sq mi |
772 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 1.25% | 2.12% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 96/192 | 87/192 |
|
Water area
|
940 sq mi |
9,345 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 2.19% | 20.4% |
| Water area rank | 87/197 | 23/197 |
| Roads length |
12,124 mi |
9,601 mi |
| Land borders length |
1,122 mi |
1,775 mi |
| Coastline length |
220 mi |
0 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 8.2% | n/a |
Bulgaria vs Malawi size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/bulgaria/malawi | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of Bulgaria and Malawi but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it appears. More about country size projections.
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2023–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- Wikidata (2026, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2025, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.
Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.
Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.
Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.