Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Malawi
Malawi: Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) was 21.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Malawi, 2005–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Malawi is 21.8%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Malawi peaked at 23.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 17.2%, in 2005.
Malawi ranks 75th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 17.2% | — |
| 2006 | 17.5% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 17.6% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 17.7% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 17.8% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 17.9% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 18.1% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 18.8% | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 19.5% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 20.3% | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 21.3% | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 22.4% | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 23.4% | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 22.7% | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 21.9% | -3.4% |
| 2020 | 19.4% | -11.4% |
| 2021 | 21.4% | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 21.4% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 21.6% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 21.7% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 21.8% | +0.4% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 21.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 26.0%, 84% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 21.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.2%, 80% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.6% | 17.2% | 17.8% | 5 |
| 2010s | 20.6% | 17.9% | 23.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.2% | 19.4% | 21.8% | 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 share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Malawi?
- Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Malawi was 21.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 23.4% in 2017.
- What is the lowest share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.2% in 2005.
- How does Malawi rank for share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of)?
- Malawi ranks 75th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of youth population) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive).