Own-account workers, total in Malawi

Malawi: Own-account workers, total was 52.7% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
52.7%
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
26th
of 186 countries
All-time high
62.8%
in 1993
All-time low
52.7%
in 2016
Years of data
26
1991–2016

Own-account workers, total in Malawi, 1991–2016

02040601991200320161991: 60.9 % of total employment1992: 60.4 % of total employment1993: 62.8 % of total employment1994: 61.1 % of total employment1995: 61.6 % of total employment1996: 61.7 % of total employment1997: 60.3 % of total employment1998: 59.8 % of total employment1999: 59.1 % of total employment2000: 58 % of total employment2001: 58 % of total employment2002: 57.6 % of total employment2003: 57.1 % of total employment2004: 57.2 % of total employment2005: 57.2 % of total employment2006: 56.3 % of total employment2007: 54.3 % of total employment2008: 54.3 % of total employment2009: 54.7 % of total employment2010: 55.2 % of total employment2011: 54.1 % of total employment2012: 54.8 % of total employment2013: 54.3 % of total employment2014: 53.6 % of total employment2015: 53.4 % of total employment2016: 52.7 % of total employment

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of total employment.

Analysis

The most recent figure for own-account workers, total in Malawi is 52.7%, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Malawi peaked at 62.8% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 52.7%, in 2016.

Malawi ranks 26th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.

Own-account workers, total in Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Malawi, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 60.9%
1992 60.4% -0.7%
1993 62.8% +3.9%
1994 61.1% -2.6%
1995 61.6% +0.8%
1996 61.7% +0.2%
1997 60.3% -2.2%
1998 59.8% -0.9%
1999 59.1% -1.2%
2000 58.0% -1.8%
2001 58.0% +0.1%
2002 57.6% -0.7%
2003 57.1% -0.9%
2004 57.2% +0.2%
2005 57.2% -0.0%
2006 56.3% -1.6%
2007 54.3% -3.5%
2008 54.3% -0.0%
2009 54.7% +0.8%
2010 55.2% +0.9%
2011 54.1% -2.0%
2012 54.8% +1.4%
2013 54.3% -1.0%
2014 53.6% -1.2%
2015 53.4% -0.4%
2016 52.7% -1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 60.8% 59.1% 62.8% 9
2000s 56.5% 54.3% 58.0% 10
2010s 54.0% 52.7% 55.2% 7

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 23 Angola 56.2% compare
  2. 24 Lesotho 53.1% compare
  3. 25 Mali 53.0% compare
  4. 27 Lao People's Democratic Republic 50.6% compare
  5. 28 Mozambique 50.5% compare
  6. 29 Comoros 50.3% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Malawi?
Own-account workers, total in Malawi was 52.7% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 62.8% in 1993.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 52.7% in 2016.
How does Malawi rank for own-account workers, total?
Malawi ranks 26th out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Own-account workers, total (% of total employment). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Own-account workers, total in Malawi. Statizoid. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Own-account workers, total (% of total employment)
Unit
% of total employment
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
213 places, 5,537 data points, 1991–2016
Last refreshed