The Mining Sector Diagnostic (MSD), conducted by the World Bank for Malawi, was commissioned by the Ministry of Mining and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs. It uses a comprehensive, data-driven tool to evaluate the entire EI value chain, including the sector's legal, regulatory, institutional, and operational frameworks. Unlike perception-based surveys or ranking systems, the MSD is grounded in detailed questionnaires and broad stakeholder engagement, drawing on input from government officials, industry representatives, and civil society organizations (CSOs), to generate evidence-based insights. A total of fifty-two questionnaires were returned to the World Bank from the different stakeholder groups. The returned questionnaires contained more than 1,000 comments which provided important context and explanations for the answers given. The results present a mixed picture: nine areas scored high, four were rated low, and only one achieved a very high score. This suggests that, although Malawi has made notable progress in some areas of the mining sector, important gaps remain, and every area assessed still has room for improvement. Human capital limitations also constrain sector development. There is a shortage of skilled professionals in both the private and public sectors, including geologists, mining engineers, mineral processing engineers and environmental experts. Against this backdrop, the MSD presents policy recommendations and priorities for reforms grouped under three thematic pillars: Mining Sector Growth, Environmental and Social Governance, and Benefit Capture and Management. These findings from the MSD and the recommendations outlined in this report are consistent with the objectives of Vision 2063 and Malawi's Strategic Plan 2022-2027
