Malawi is among countries in the world that have registered most significant gains in overall electoral integrity following the 2025 General Elections.

This is according to the latest Perceptions of Electoral Integrity (PEI) Report, which shows that the country’s score rose by 10 points between 2025 and 202PEI, a report developed by the Electoral Integrity Project, is an internationally recognized index that measures the quality of elections based on assessments by independent elections experts.

It evaluates all stages of the electoral process, including the legal framework, voter registration, campaign environment, media coverage, polling, vote counting, results management, and the performance of electoral management bodies.

According to the report, Malawi’s PEI score increased from 59 in 2025 to 69 in 2026, placing the country among countries with the most notable gains compared to their previous elections, alongside the Philippines, Poland, Gabon, and Egypt.

Welcoming the findings of the report, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Director of Media and Public Relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa says the improved ranking reflects the collective efforts of electoral stakeholders.

“The Commission views the improvement in Malawi’s score as an encouraging recognition of the collective efforts made by all electoral stakeholders in strengthening the country’s democratic processes,” Mwafulirwa says in a statement.

He adds: “Credible elections are a shared responsibility involving MEC, political parties, candidates, civil society organizations, the media, security agencies, development partners, the judiciary and voters. The Commission acknowledges their contributions to the positive outcome.”

Mwafulirwa said independent assessments such as the PEI provide an opportunity to benchmark Malawi’s electoral processes against international standards while identifying areas that require further improvements to enhance the credibility, inclusiveness, and integrity of future elections.

He further said the Commission recognizes that electoral integrity is an ongoing process and as such the Commission remains committed to implementing recommendations from post-election reviews, strengthening institutional capacity, embracing innovation, and maintaining transparency and professionalism in the administration of elections.