Employment rate in Malawi
Malawi: Employment rate was 59.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment rate in Malawi, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 59.4% for employment rate in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rate in Malawi peaked at 77.1% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 59.4%, in 2021.
That places Malawi 79th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 76.8% | 76.5% | 77.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 75.7% | 72.4% | 76.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.7% | 60.1% | 71.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.4% | 59.4% | 64.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More work & labour data for Malawi
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 62.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 86.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 58.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 63.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 67.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 59.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment rate in Malawi?
- Employment rate in Malawi was 59.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment rate recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 77.1% in 1997.
- What is the lowest employment rate recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.4% in 2021.
- How does Malawi rank for employment rate?
- Malawi ranks 79th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rate rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.