Travel safety comparison · Africa
Malawi vs Tanzania: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Malawi and Tanzania for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
Malawi carries a materially lower safety risk than Tanzania on the composite Warnely score: 35/100 against 52/100, a gap of 17 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Malawi scores 2/5 against Tanzania's 3/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 2 advisory on Malawi and a Level 3 on Tanzania.
| 🇲🇼Malawi | 🇹🇿Tanzania | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 35 / 100 | 52 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Normal Caution | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | avoid all but essential travel to parts of country |
| US State Department advisory | Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) | Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #71 | #73 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Exercise Caution | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | illegal | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | MWK | TZS |