Lilongwe: what is being built, where people live and where they shop
About 1.6 million people live in the 686 km² mapped here. Between mid-2016 and mid-2023, 13.7 km² of new building footprint went up, 62% more than stood in 2016. The most went up 5 to 10 km from the centre.
The detailed map of Lilongwe is part of the Individual plan
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Where Lilongwe is building
New building footprint by distance from the centre, the long-run picture since 1975, and how Lilongwe compares.
Most new building went up 5 to 10 km from the centre
Building footprint added between mid-2016 and mid-2023, by distance from the city centre.
Built-up area of the urban centre, 1975 to 2030
Square kilometres of built-up surface. 2025 and 2030 are projections.
People in the urban centre, 1975 to 2030
2025 and 2030 are projections.
New building since 2016, city by city
Building footprint added between mid-2016 and mid-2023 in each area mapped, with the increase on 2016.
Rents and prices, as reported
Quoted as published; checked 14 October 2026.
Shops and services in Lilongwe
What is mapped, which chains lead and how Lilongwe compares on supermarkets for its population.
What is mapped
Places in the area mapped, by kind.
Supermarkets for every 100,000 people
Supermarkets mapped, against people in each area mapped.
The biggest chains by outlets mapped
| Chain | Kind | Outlets |
|---|---|---|
| TotalEnergies | Filling station | 21 |
| Puma | Filling station | 11 |
| Standard Bank / Stanbic | Bank | 10 |
| Food Lover's Market | Supermarket | 5 |
| Shoprite | Supermarket | 4 |
| Chipiku | Supermarket | 3 |
| Steers | Fast food | 3 |
| Pep | Clothing and shoes | 3 |
| Debonairs | Fast food | 2 |
| Pizza Inn | Fast food | 2 |
The top 25, and every outlet on the map: Individual
Catchments
209,000 people in the area mapped (13%) live more than 15 minutes' drive from a supermarket, and 1.2 million more than 30 minutes' walk from one. A catchment shows who lives within a given time of a site, using the road network at off-peak speeds: how many people, what was built there since 2016, and which shops compete for them.
- Every shopping centre's 30-minute drive-time catchment, with people and competitors inside (Individual plan).
- Catchments for any site you choose, by car or on foot, for 10 to 30 minutes (Professional plan).
Shopping centre catchments is part of the Individual plan
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Data built 14 October 2026. Sources and method