Labor force participation rate by age in Malawi
Malawi: Labor force participation rate by age was 46.7 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
46.7
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
62nd
of 188 countries
All-time high
68.97
in 1999
All-time low
46.7
in 2024
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Labor force participation rate by age in Malawi, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, labor force participation rate by age in Malawi stood at 46.7. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate by age in Malawi peaked at 68.97 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 46.7, in 2024.
Malawi ranks 62nd of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate by age in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 67.53 | — |
| 1991 | 67.88 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 68.22 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 68.49 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 68.7 | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 68.82 | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 68.86 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 68.89 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 68.96 | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 68.97 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 68.86 | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 68.78 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 68.73 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 68.67 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 68.62 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 68.63 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 67.21 | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 65.77 | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 64.29 | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 62.78 | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 61.25 | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 59.7 | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 57.94 | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 56.16 | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 54.36 | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 52.55 | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 50.73 | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 48.92 | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 48.3 | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 47.63 | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 56.86 | +19.4% |
| 2021 | 47.63 | -16.2% |
| 2022 | 47.09 | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 46.9 | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 46.7 | -0.4% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 46.7 is below the median for low income countries, which is 51.97, 90% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 46.7 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 38.12, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 68.53 | 67.53 | 68.97 | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.23 | 62.78 | 68.86 | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.75 | 47.63 | 61.25 | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.04 | 46.7 | 56.86 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
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 labor force participation rate by age in Malawi?
- Labor force participation rate by age in Malawi was 46.7 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 68.97 in 1999.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.7 in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for labor force participation rate by age?
- Malawi ranks 62nd out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labor force participation rate by age rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate by age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).