Map of Balaka, Malawi

Balaka is a city in Southern Region, Malawi, with a population of about 40,950. It lies at 14.9793°S, 34.9558°E. Balaka is about 169 km (105 mi) southeast of Lilongwe, the capital. The nearest city on our map is Liwonde, 31 km to the east.

Balaka at a glance

Where is Balaka?

• The 10th largest city in Malawi by recorded population.
• The 5th largest city in Southern Region on this site.
• Located in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres.
• Daylight ranges from about 11 h 14 min on the shortest day to 13 h 01 min on the longest day (around 21 June and 21 December).

Cities near Balaka

• Liwonde — 31 km east
• Zomba — 60 km southeast
• Mangochi — 65 km northeast
• Blantyre — 90 km south
• Dedza — 95 km northwest
• Mandimba — 102 km northeast, Mozambique
• Salima — 144 km north
• Lilongwe — 169 km northwest
• Lichinga — 188 km north, Mozambique
• Kasungu — 268 km northwest

Largest cities in Southern Region

• Blantyre — 902,588
• Zomba — 118,440
• Mangochi — 60,338
• Liwonde — 41,077

Largest cities in Malawi

• Lilongwe — 1,115,815
• Blantyre — 902,588
• Mzuzu — 249,564
• Zomba — 118,440
• Karonga — 69,486
• Kasungu — 66,152
• Mangochi — 60,338
• Salima — 41,492
• Liwonde — 41,077
• Dedza — 34,882

Map of Malawi and all its cities →

Sources: place names, coordinates, populations and time zones from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0, data retrieved October 2026). Population figures are the latest values recorded in GeoNames; depending on the country they refer to the city proper, a municipality or a wider urban area, so they can differ from census or metro-area figures. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.