Labor force participation rate by age in Malawi
Malawi: Labor force participation rate by age was 46.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate by age in Malawi, 1990–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
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 69.0% 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 68.5% | 67.5% | 69.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.2% | 62.8% | 68.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.8% | 47.6% | 61.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.0% | 46.7% | 56.9% | 5 |
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 labor force participation rate by age in Malawi?
- Labor force participation rate by age in Malawi was 46.7% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 69.0% 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 International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate by age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the working-age population aged 15-24 who are economically active (employed or unemployed).