Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Malawi
Malawi: Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 49.58 in 2024. βΌ Falling
Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Malawi, 1975β2024
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2024, labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Malawi stood at 49.58. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 36.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Malawi peaked at 88.73 in 1983 and was at its lowest, 49.58, in 2024.
Malawi ranks 184th of 210 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 71.28 | 71.28 | 71.28 | 1 |
| 1980s | 83.28 | 77.83 | 88.73 | 2 |
| 1990s | 77.35 | 77.35 | 77.35 | 1 |
| 2000s | 84.7 | 80.81 | 88.6 | 2 |
| 2010s | 71.49 | 63.47 | 77.61 | 3 |
| 2020s | 58.92 | 49.58 | 68.26 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More work & labour data for Malawi
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4409 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.4183 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Rural population, annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population, annual growth rate 4.02 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population 13,360 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Rural population 28,345 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Female 30,321 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Male 28,820 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Both sexes 59,141 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Male, per unit of GDP 0 1000 No per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Malawi?
- Labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Malawi was 49.58 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 88.73 in 1983.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.58 in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- Malawi ranks 184th out of 210 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) 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 International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 11 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The labour force participation rate is the labour force as a percent of the working-age population. The labour force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.