Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Malawi
Malawi: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 49.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Malawi, 1975–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Malawi is 49.6%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
That represents a change of down 36.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Malawi peaked at 88.7% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 49.6%, in 2024.
That places Malawi 172nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 71.3% | — |
| 1983 | 88.7% | +24.5% |
| 1987 | 77.8% | -12.3% |
| 1998 | 77.3% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 88.6% | +14.5% |
| 2005 | 80.8% | -8.8% |
| 2011 | 73.4% | -9.2% |
| 2013 | 77.6% | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 63.5% | -18.2% |
| 2020 | 68.3% | +7.6% |
| 2024 | 49.6% | -27.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 71.3% | 71.3% | 71.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 83.3% | 77.8% | 88.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 77.3% | 77.3% | 77.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 84.7% | 80.8% | 88.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 71.5% | 63.5% | 77.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 58.9% | 49.6% | 68.3% | 2 |
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, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Malawi?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Malawi was 49.6% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 88.7% in 1983.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.6% in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Malawi ranks 172nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.