THE MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS IN MALAWI

The people of Malawi, a country in southern Africa, come from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. The Chewa, Nyanja, Yao, Tumbuka, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, and Ngoni are among Malawi’s most populous and historically significant ethnic groups.

Around 35% of Malawians are of Chewa ancestry, making them the country’s most populous ethnic group. They are found mostly in the country’s central area and speak a language also called Chewa. The Nyanja are another sizable ethnic group in Malawi, accounting for around 15% of the total. They speak a language similarly called Nyanja and are concentrated in the country’s southern regions.

About one-fifth of Malawians identify as Yao, making them another sizable ethnic minority. They are found largely in the country’s southern regions and speak a language also called Yao. The Tumbuka are another sizable ethnic minority in Malawi, accounting for around 9% of the total. They speak Tumbuka, which is also the name of their native region in the country’s north.

The Lomwe are another sizable ethnic minority in Malawi, accounting for around 8% of the total. The majority of these people may be found in the country’s southern regions, and their language is also known as Lomwe. About 3% of Malawians identify as Sena, making them another sizable ethnic minority. They speak a language similarly called Sena and are concentrated in the country’s center area.

The Tonga are a sizable minority in Malawi, making up just around 2% of the total population. They speak a language similarly called Tonga and are concentrated in the country’s northern regions. Finally, the Ngoni are a sizable minority in Malawi, accounting up around one percent of the total population. They are found mostly in the country’s southern half and speak a language also called Ngoni.