Patterns of Social Safety Net, Weather Shocks, and Household Food Security Status in Malawi

First release: February 17th, 2023

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The study analyses patterns and coverage of existing social safety net and subsidized input programmes; types of shocks faced by households over time; and household food security status in Malawi. Data shows that large shares of households face multiple shocks with the majority facing between 1 to 5 shocks each year. Poor households and those without savings to fall back on are less likely to cope with shocks. Furthermore, an increasing share of households benefit from multiple social safety nets and also receive both social safety nets and subsidized coupons, suggesting some evidence of a lack of streamlining of interventions in the existing programmes. The findings call for a reprogramming of social protection programmes to achieve better targeting and strengthen resilience to shocks.