Female employment rate in Malawi
Malawi: Female employment rate was 36.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Female employment rate in Malawi, 1983–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 36.7% for female employment rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 46.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment rate in Malawi peaked at 90.1% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 36.7%, in 2024.
That places Malawi 144th out of 172 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Female employment rate in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 90.1% | — |
| 1987 | 63.7% | -29.3% |
| 1998 | 77.9% | +22.3% |
| 2004 | 83.3% | +6.9% |
| 2005 | 77.5% | -7.0% |
| 2011 | 67.5% | -12.9% |
| 2013 | 68.5% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 56.3% | -17.9% |
| 2020 | 62.6% | +11.2% |
| 2024 | 36.7% | -41.3% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 36.7% is below the median for low income countries, which is 54.6%, 67% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 36.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 56.1%, 66% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 76.9% | 63.7% | 90.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 77.9% | 77.9% | 77.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 80.4% | 77.5% | 83.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 64.1% | 56.3% | 68.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 49.6% | 36.7% | 62.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 141 Bangladesh 37.1% compare
- 142 Uzbekistan 36.9% compare
- 143 Bosnia and Herzegovina 36.8% compare
- 145 Oman 35.8% compare
- 146 Fiji 35.2% compare
- 147 Nauru 33.8% 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 female employment rate in Malawi?
- Female employment rate in Malawi was 36.7% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment rate recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 90.1% in 1983.
- What is the lowest female employment rate recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.7% in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for female employment rate?
- Malawi ranks 144th out of 172 countries with data for 2024.
- Is female employment rate rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are employed. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.