Malawi is 1.28 times bigger by total area compared to Portugal: 45,747 sq mi vs 35,608 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Malawi is 36,402 sq mi vs 35,369 sq mi for Portugal.
- Malawi ranks 98/197 by total surface area vs 109/197 for Portugal.
- Malawi occupies 0.06% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.06% for Portugal.
- 64.2% of Malawi's area is agricultural land vs 43.3% in Portugal.
- Malawi has 0.13% of the world's agricultural land area — Portugal has 0.08%.
- 22.4% of Malawi is covered by forests, compared to 36.2% in Portugal.
- 0.05% of the world's forests are in Malawi, and 0.08% are in Portugal.
Total size and land area comparison
Malawi
|
Portugal
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
45,747 sq mi |
35,608 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 1.28 | 1 |
| Total area rank | 98/197 | 109/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Land area |
36,402 sq mi |
35,369 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 1.03 | 1 |
| Land area rank | 107/197 | 108/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.06% | 0.06% |
| Population | 21,655,286 | 10,694,681 |
| Population density | 626 ppl/mi² | 302 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
Malawi
|
Portugal
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
8,169 sq mi |
12,788 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 22.4% | 36.2% |
| Forest area rank | 106/196 | 86/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.05% | 0.08% |
Agricultural land area
|
23,359 sq mi |
15,328 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 64.2% | 43.3% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 82/194 | 95/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.13% | 0.08% |
|
Arable land
|
15,444 sq mi |
3,580 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 42.4% | 10.1% |
| Arable land area rank | 59/191 | 110/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
772 sq mi |
3,400 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 2.12% | 9.61% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 87/192 | 41/192 |
|
Water area
|
9,345 sq mi |
239.2 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 20.4% | 0.67% |
| Water area rank | 23/197 | 111/197 |
| Roads length |
9,601 mi |
n/a |
| Land borders length |
1,775 mi |
761 mi |
| Coastline length |
0 mi |
1,114 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | n/a | 16.8% |
Malawi vs Portugal size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/malawi/portugal | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of Malawi and Portugal 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.