Travel safety comparison · Africa
Malawi vs Zimbabwe: safety comparison
vs
Side-by-side safety comparison of Malawi and Zimbabwe 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 sits a little lower on the Warnely composite score than Zimbabwe (35 against 42), 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 crime, where Malawi scores 2/5 against Zimbabwe's 3/5.
| 🇲🇼Malawi | 🇿🇼Zimbabwe | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 35 / 100 | 42 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Normal Caution | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) | Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #71 | #114 |
| 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 | ZWL |