Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Malawi
Malawi: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) was 48.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Malawi, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Malawi recorded 48.8% for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Malawi peaked at 70.4% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 48.8%, in 2025.
That places Malawi 73rd 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 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 68.1% | — |
| 1991 | 68.6% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 69.0% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 69.5% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 69.7% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 70.0% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 70.2% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 70.2% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 70.4% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 70.4% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 70.2% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 70.0% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 69.9% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 69.8% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 69.8% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 69.8% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 68.4% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 67.1% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 65.7% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 64.4% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 63.0% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 61.6% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 60.0% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 58.4% | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 56.7% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 55.0% | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 53.4% | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 51.7% | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 50.9% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 50.0% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 60.9% | +21.9% |
| 2021 | 49.8% | -18.2% |
| 2022 | 49.5% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 49.4% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 49.2% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 48.8% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 69.6% | 68.1% | 70.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 68.5% | 64.4% | 70.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.1% | 50.0% | 63.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.3% | 48.8% | 60.9% | 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, male (%) in Malawi?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) in Malawi was 48.8% 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, male (%) recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 70.4% in 1999.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.8% in 2025.
- How does Malawi rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%)?
- Malawi ranks 73rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. 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, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.