Employment in services (% of total employment) in Malawi
Malawi: Employment in services (% of total employment) was 27.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Malawi, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in services (% of total employment) in Malawi stood at 27.7%.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services (% of total employment) in Malawi peaked at 28.6% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 18.3%, in 1992.
That places Malawi 178th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in services (% of total employment) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 19.2% | — |
| 1992 | 18.3% | -4.4% |
| 1993 | 19.0% | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 19.3% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 20.3% | +5.4% |
| 1996 | 20.8% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 21.2% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 21.3% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 21.4% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 21.4% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 20.8% | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 20.8% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 21.3% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 21.8% | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 22.0% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 22.5% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 23.4% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 24.1% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 24.9% | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 25.5% | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 25.9% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 26.0% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 26.5% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 26.9% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 27.2% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 27.4% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 27.7% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 28.1% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 28.6% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 27.7% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 27.4% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 27.3% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 27.4% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 27.4% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 27.7% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.1% | 18.3% | 21.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 22.3% | 20.8% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.0% | 25.5% | 28.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.5% | 27.3% | 27.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 175 Guinea-Bissau 29.2% compare
- 176 Mali 28.4% compare
- 177 Uganda 27.9% compare
- 179 Tanzania, United Republic of 27.3% compare
- 180 Lao People's Democratic Republic 24.0% compare
- 181 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 23.5% compare
More work & labour data for Malawi
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.4293 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4409 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4183 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 4.02 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 13,360 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 28,345 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 30,321 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 28,820 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 59,141 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in services (% of total employment) in Malawi?
- Employment in services (% of total employment) in Malawi was 27.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 28.6% in 2019.
- What is the lowest employment in services (% of total employment) recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.3% in 1992.
- How does Malawi rank for employment in services (% of total employment)?
- Malawi ranks 178th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services (% of total employment) rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in services (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).