Mozambique- Country Information

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Overview

Map 1: Mozambique in Southeast Africa (maps.google.com)

The Republic of Mozambique is located on the south-eastern coast of Africa, in the Southern African region, and covers a total area of 799,380 square kilometres. It shares land borders with Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the Kingdom of Eswatini. To the east, the country is bordered by the Indian Ocean, across the Mozambique Channel, which separates it from the island of Madagascar. Administratively, Mozambique is divided into ten provinces and Maputo City, which has provincial status (see Map: Provinces in Mozambique).

The World Bank classifies Mozambique as a low-income country. In 2025, the country recorded a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of approximately USD 22.34 billion, a GDP per capita of USD 626.9 and an estimated economic contraction of 0.5%. For 2026, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected real GDP growth of 0.5%, a nominal GDP of USD 23.28 billion and a GDP per capita of USD 672.6.

Portuguese is the official language and is used in public administration, education and institutional communication. However, Mozambique has considerable linguistic diversity, with several Bantu languages widely spoken across the country. According to the 2017 Population and Housing Census, Emakhuwa is the most widely spoken mother tongue, accounting for 26.1% of the population aged five and above. It is followed by Portuguese (16.6%), Xichangana (8.6%), Cinyanja (8.1%), Cisena (7.1%), Elomwe (7.1%), Echuwabo (4.7%), Cindau (3.6%) and Xitswa (3.6%). It is important to note that the 16.6% figure refers to people who reported Portuguese as their mother tongue, and not to the total number of people who speak the language.

Map 2: Provinces of Mozambique

Demographics

Mozambique had an estimated population of approximately 34.1 million inhabitants in 2025, according to United Nations estimates. Women account for slightly more than half of the national population. The country has a predominantly young population, characterised by a high proportion of children and adolescents.

The population is distributed between urban and rural areas, with a significant share continuing to live in rural communities, where agriculture and other subsistence economic activities remain important sources of livelihood. According to World Bank data based on 2022 figures, poverty is more prevalent in rural areas, affecting 70.9% of the rural population, compared with 47.6% of the urban population.

Maputo City is the country's main political, administrative and economic centre. Other major cities include Matola, an important industrial and economic centre in Maputo Province; Nampula, a major commercial and administrative centre in the northern region; and Beira, the capital of Sofala Province and one of the country's principal port and logistics hubs.

In terms of human development, Mozambique remains in the low human development category. According to the 2025 Human Development Report, based on 2023 data, the country ranked 182nd out of 193 countries and territories, with a Human Development Index (HDI) value of 0.493.

Multidimensional poverty remains one of the country's major development challenges. According to the 2024 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, produced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), and based on data from the 2022/2023 Household Budget Survey, approximately 60.7% of Mozambique's population (around 19.8 million people) lived in multidimensional poverty. A further 16.9% were vulnerable to multidimensional poverty, while 38.8% experienced severe multidimensional poverty.

Regarding monetary poverty, World Bank data indicate that 81.4% of the population lived below the international poverty line of USD 3.00 per day, based on 2021 purchasing power parity and 2022 data.

The estimated unemployment rate in Mozambique was 6.6% in 2025, according to the International Labour Organization's modelled estimate published by the World Bank.

Public debt also remains a significant economic challenge. The International Monetary Fund estimated that public sector debt represented approximately 91.4% of GDP in 2025, reflecting ongoing pressures on the country's public finances.

Topography

Mozambique’s coastline is 25000 km long. More than half of Mozambican territory consists of low grassland plateau with an average of 230 m above sea level. There are significant high elevations scattered throughout the country. The highest points in Mozambique are Mt. Binga (2436 m) in the Manica Province, Mt. Namuli (2419 m) in Zambezia, Mt. Domue (2095 m) in Tete, and Gorongosa (1862 m) in Sofala. In general, the east of Mozambique has extensive lowlands while the west is more mountainous.  

There are several important rivers in Mozambique that provide different regions with fresh water for agriculture and are a valuable source for hydro power plants. The Zambezi River is the longest of Mozambique’s 25 rivers, and fourth longest in Africa. It flows from Zambia to Angola and touches the borders of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe before crossing through the middle of Mozambique and emptying into the Indian Ocean. The Zambezi feeds the Cahora Bassa hydro power plant in the Tete Province.  

Other large rivers, such as the 1087-mile Limpopo, which flows from South Africa, and the Ruvuma, which Mozambique shares with Tanzania, have slow flow rates. These rivers are not suited for hydropower, and are mainly used for irrigation. 

Political Situation

Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1975, Mozambique has undergone significant political and institutional transformations. Following independence, the country adopted the Constitution of the People's Republic of Mozambique, establishing a one-party socialist state under the leadership of FRELIMO (Frente de Libertação de Moçambique, or Mozambique Liberation Front). FRELIMO emerged in 1962 as a liberation movement fighting Portuguese colonial rule, leading the struggle that culminated in independence in 1975. In 1977, the party formally adopted Marxism-Leninism as its ideological orientation. The post-independence period was marked by a civil war between the FRELIMO-led government and the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO), which began in 1977. The conflict ended with the signing of the General Peace Agreement in Rome in 1992, following the adoption of a new Constitution in 1990 that introduced political pluralism and paved the way for a multiparty system.

The 1990 Constitution established the foundations for multiparty democracy, which was further consolidated through the 2004 constitutional revision. Mozambique held its first multiparty general elections in 1994. The country's political system is based on the separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The President of the Republic is the Head of State and Government, the Assembly of the Republic exercises legislative power, and the judicial system includes the Supreme Court as one of its highest institutions, alongside other constitutionally established bodies. Presidential and parliamentary elections are held every five years.

Since the introduction of multiparty elections in 1994, FRELIMO has remained the governing party, and its presidential candidates have won every presidential election. The most recent general elections were held on 9 October 2024, resulting in the election of Daniel Francisco Chapo, the FRELIMO candidate, as President of the Republic. He officially took office on 15 January 2025, succeeding Filipe Jacinto Nyusi. The 2024 electoral process was marked by political tensions, disputes over the results and demonstrations in several parts of the country, highlighting the continuing challenges facing Mozambique's democratic institutions.

FRELIMO has historically promoted national unity and the integration of Mozambique's diverse ethnic and cultural groups. The country's Constitution establishes national unity as a fundamental principle and prohibits political parties from pursuing objectives based on tribal, ethnic, racial or religious divisions. Nevertheless, debates over political representation, regional inequalities, governance and the dominance of FRELIMO have continued to shape the country's political landscape.

In addition to the challenges associated with political stability, Mozambique has faced significant security concerns, particularly in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. An armed insurgency began in October 2017, when militants associated with an extremist Islamist movement, commonly referred to locally as Al-Shabaab and also known as Ansar al-Sunna, launched attacks against police posts and communities, including in the district of Mocímboa da Praia. The violence subsequently spread to other districts, resulting in deaths, destruction of infrastructure and large-scale displacement of civilians. The conflict has been linked to a combination of factors, including socioeconomic marginalisation, limited access to economic opportunities and public services, local grievances and extremist recruitment. Despite national and international military interventions, insecurity and humanitarian needs have remained important challenges for the province and the country as a whole.

Economic Activities

Mozambique’s main economic activity is agriculture, employing about 70% of the total active population and representing 26% of GDP (2021). There is a large variety of crops and agricultural products grown in Mozambique, which according to FAO, is the world’s 18th largest producer of cassava (2019). The most cultivated products include oilseeds, corn, beans, rice and sugar. 9% of the total active population work in the industrial sector. Important mineral exports include aluminium, coal, iron ore, gold, bauxite, graphite, marble and tantalite.  

Mozambique’s employment rate per sector in 2021

Sector	Share of total GDP	Share of total employment
Agriculture	26%	70%
Industry	22.9%	9%
Service / tertiary sector	39.9%	21%

Mozambique’s top 10 exports in 2020

Category	Highest dollar value (USD)	Share of overall exports
Mineral fuels including oil	1.3 billion	36.4%
Aluminium	1.1 billion	30.6%
Ores, slag, ash	238 million	6.9%
Tobacco	162.3 million	4.7%
Fruits, nuts	126 million	3.6%
Oil seeds	86.4 million	2.5%
Vegetables	59.1 million	1.7%
Fish	48.6 million	1.4%
Salt, sulphur, stone, cement	47 million	1.4%
Sugar, confectionery	44.3 million	1.3%

Besides the above-mentioned export goods, electricity is one of Mozambique’s most valuable exports. Cahora Bassa is one of the world’s largest dams. 65% of the electricity generated by Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) is exported to South Africa. The remaining 35% is split between powering the northern regions of Mozambique and exporting to Zimbabwe.  

An important natural resource found in Mozambique is liquefied natural gas (LNG). Foreign energy companies such as Anadarko and ENI, discovered significant natural gas deposits in the Rovuma Basin, at the coast of Cabo Delgado, in 2015. Considering the large size of the gas reserves, Mozambique has the potential to be one of the largest LNG markets in the sub-Saharan region. There are already three large LNG projects with investments on Mozambique’s LNG industry. However, due to the internal conflicts in Cabo Delgado, Total (one of the investors) have frozen their investment indefinitely in April 2021.

Name of Project	Involved investors	Investment (USD)
Mozambique LNG Project	Total Anadrako (former investor but acquired by Total in 2019)	20 billion
Coral FLNG Project	ENI Exxon Mobil	4.7 billion
Rovuma LNG Project	Exxon Mobil ENI China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)	30 billion

Mozambique’s main imports in 2018 were petroleum oils, unwrought aluminium, rice, fluorides, motor vehicles, cereals, pharmaceutical products, electrical energy, and palm oil. The top trading partners for import and export are South Africa, China, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, India, Singapore and Hong Kong.  

Climate Profile

Mozambique has a sub-tropical climate accompanied by high temperatures in the inner territory and even higher in the coastal regions. There are two seasonal variations with cool and dry climate from April to September and hot and humid climate from October to March. In terms of rainfall, the northern region receives on average 1,000 mm/year while the Southern region receives 500 mm/year. The coastlines and some higher topography receive the highest rainfall between 800-1200 mm/year and some semi-arid region in south receive less than 300 mm/year (see Map 3).  On average, there are 2750 hours of sunlight per year and 7:33 hours of sunlight per day, an average irradiation profile of around 2000 KWh/m2/year, and a solar harnessing potential of about 2.7 GW.  

Map 3: Rainfall Pattern of Mozambique

The geographical location of Mozambique with its long coastline and an extensive lowland below sea level makes it highly vulnerable to climate change. In addition, Mozambique shares 13 major rivers with neighbouring countries making it vulnerable to geo-political threats arising from climate change. Reduction in rainfall pattern due to climate change could translate into reduced river flow reduction, leading to potential water resource conflict among neighbouring countries.

The geographical location of Mozambique with its long coastline and an extensive lowland below sea level makes it highly vulnerable to climate change. In addition, Mozambique shares 13 major rivers with neighbouring countries making it vulnerable to geo-political threats arising from climate change. Reduction in rainfall pattern due to climate change could translate into reduced river flow reduction, leading to potential water resource conflict among neighbouring countries

Mozambique is also prone to natural disasters such as flood, cyclone, and intense storms. Floods resulting from severe storms and cyclones, have caused destruction of crops and infrastructure in various occasions. The reliance on farming, fishing and agricultural activities of more than half of the population translates into an increased risk on the local economy in the event of a natural disaster. In 2019, Mozambique faced two of its most destructive natural disasters. Cyclone Idai and Cyclone Kenneth devastated large areas of Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe that are still in recovery. The in-land central part of Mozambique also suffers from droughts due to unpredictable rainfall patterns that affect agricultural productivity and access to fresh water.  

Further Information

• Mozambique Electricity Situation
• Mozambique Energy Situation
• Mozambique Cooking Energy Hub
• Mozambique Solar Hub