Statizoid

Labor force participation rate in Malawi

Malawi: Labor force participation rate was 62.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
62.6%
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
86th
of 186 countries
All-time high
80.9%
in 1999
All-time low
62.6%
in 2025
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force participation rate in Malawi, 1990–2025

0204060801990200720251990: 80.7 %1991: 80.7 %1992: 80.8 %1993: 80.8 %1994: 80.8 %1995: 80.8 %1996: 80.8 %1997: 80.8 %1998: 80.9 %1999: 80.9 %2000: 80.8 %2001: 80.8 %2002: 80.8 %2003: 80.8 %2004: 80.8 %2005: 80.8 %2006: 79.7 %2007: 78.5 %2008: 77.3 %2009: 76 %2010: 74.7 %2011: 73.4 %2012: 71.8 %2013: 70.3 %2014: 68.6 %2015: 67 %2016: 65.2 %2017: 63.5 %2018: 63.4 %2019: 63.3 %2020: 68.3 %2021: 62.9 %2022: 63.1 %2023: 63 %2024: 62.9 %2025: 62.6 %

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Malawi recorded 62.6% for labor force participation rate in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.

The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Malawi peaked at 80.9% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 62.6%, in 2025.

That places Malawi 86th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 80.8% 80.7% 80.9% 10
2000s 79.7% 76.0% 80.8% 10
2010s 68.1% 63.3% 74.7% 10
2020s 63.8% 62.6% 68.3% 6

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 83 Brazil 63.1% compare
  2. 84 Lithuania 62.9% compare
  3. 85 Belarus 62.7% compare
  4. 87 Chile 62.3% compare
  5. 88 Guam 62.3% compare
  6. 89 El Salvador 62.1% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate in Malawi?
Labor force participation rate in Malawi was 62.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 80.9% in 1999.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 62.6% in 2025.
How does Malawi rank for labor force participation rate?
Malawi ranks 86th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate
Unit
%
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,682 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).