Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) in Malawi
Malawi: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) was 43.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) in Malawi, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) in Malawi stood at 43.7%. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) in Malawi peaked at 67.8% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 43.7%, in 2025.
Malawi ranks 53rd of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 67.1% | — |
| 1991 | 67.2% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 67.5% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 67.6% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 67.8% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 67.7% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 67.6% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 67.6% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 67.6% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 67.6% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 67.6% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 67.6% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 67.6% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 67.6% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 67.6% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 67.6% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 66.1% | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 64.6% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 63.0% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 61.3% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 59.7% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 58.0% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 56.0% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 52.1% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 50.2% | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 48.2% | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 46.2% | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 45.8% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 45.3% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 52.9% | +16.6% |
| 2021 | 45.5% | -14.0% |
| 2022 | 44.7% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 44.4% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 44.2% | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 43.7% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 67.5% | 67.1% | 67.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.1% | 61.3% | 67.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.6% | 45.3% | 59.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.9% | 43.7% | 52.9% | 6 |
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 for ages 15-24, female (%) in Malawi?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) in Malawi was 43.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 67.8% in 1994.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.7% in 2025.
- How does Malawi rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%)?
- Malawi ranks 53rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.