Crimes of Need – Results of the Malawi National Crime Victimisation Survey

This report presents the results of Malawi's first National Crime Victimisation Survey, conducted between May and July 2003. The survey of 6,861 respondents reveals that while violent crime is relatively uncommon, property crimes—specifically crop and livestock theft—are prevalent and closely linked to food shortages and poverty, termed 'crimes of need'. The document also examines public perceptions of safety, the performance of the police and courts, and the role of community-based security groups.

• Between 1 May 2002 and 1 May 2003, 43.5% of the survey sample (2,984 respondents) experienced one or more crimes. The most prevalent crimes were crop theft (17.2%) and livestock theft (8.5%), followed by corruption (5.6%), home burglary (4.6%), and theft of personal property (3.8%).
• Crop and livestock thefts are identified as 'crimes of need' because their prevalence correlates with the 'lean, hungry season' and food shortages. Crop theft peaked in March (19.1%), April (16.9%), and May (15.1%) 2003, coinciding with the maize harvest and periods of high food insecurity.
• Crime patterns vary by location: rural residents experience higher rates of crop and livestock theft, while urban residents in Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe, and Mzuzu experience corruption, home burglary, and theft of personal property at rates three times higher than rural residents.
• Violent crimes are significantly less common than property crimes, with assault reported by 1.5% of respondents, robbery by 0.5%, murder by 0.2%, and sexual assault (including rape) by 0.1%.
• Corruption is a significant issue, particularly when seeking public services. 5.6% of the total sample reported being asked for money, a service, or a favour by an official for a legally required service, with those seeking public service employment being the most likely to be asked for or offer bribes.
• Reporting of crime to the police is low, especially for the most common crimes: only 10% of crop thefts and 3.6% of livestock thefts were reported. Common reasons for not reporting include the belief that the crime was 'not important enough' or a lack of evidence.
• Victims frequently report crimes to traditional authorities instead of the police; 58.3% of crop theft victims and 64.4% of livestock theft victims used traditional authorities.
• Public perception of the police and courts is overwhelmingly positive despite low police visibility. 70.3% believe the police are doing a good job, and 87.7% believe the courts perform their duties satisfactorily, with 85.5% satisfied with court sentencing.
• The public generally believes that crime is committed by people from their own areas (45.6%) and is motivated by poverty (44.1%) or unemployment (16.1%). 24.6% of respondents personally know someone who makes a living from crime.
• There is a strong preference for a tough criminal justice approach and increased police visibility. 43.9% of respondents want increased police patrols, and 27.8% want more armed patrols. Only 7.6% believe creating employment would address crime.
• Community-based protection groups are common, with 44% of respondents reporting their existence. Some of these groups operate outside the law; 33% of those who knew of such groups reported they handed out punishment on their own.
• Awareness of formal victim support services and Community Police Forums (CPFs) is very low. Only 6.4% of the sample were aware of victim support services, and only 18.2% knew what a CPF was.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Crimes of Need – Results of the Malawi National Crime Victimisation Survey. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/cimes-of-need-book.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Crimes of Need – Results of the Malawi National Crime Victimisation Survey. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/cimes-of-need-book.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Crimes of Need – Results of the Malawi National Crime Victimisation Survey |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/cimes-of-need-book.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndcrimes, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Crimes of Need – Results of the Malawi National Crime Victimisation Survey}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/cimes-of-need-book.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }