Travel safety comparison · Africa
Malawi vs Zambia: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Malawi and Zambia 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.
Zambia sits a little lower on the Warnely composite score than Malawi (28 against 35), but the gap is small enough that the practical difference comes down to category-by-category detail rather than the headline. The biggest single category gap is in infrastructure, where Zambia scores 2/5 against Malawi's 3/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 2 advisory on Malawi and a Level 1 on Zambia.
| 🇲🇼Malawi | 🇿🇲Zambia | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 35 / 100 | 28 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Normal Caution | Exercise Normal Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #71 | #64 |
| 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 | ZMW |