Malawi — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for Malawi, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for Malawi was 62.58% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 80.86% in 1999. Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.72% per year.
Malawi ranks 86 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 46%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 64.31%, so Malawi sits below it. It peaked in 1999 and has fallen 23% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 7%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 26 of 47 economies; Zambia (61.93%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 8% in 2020. That is 2% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 13th of 187 in 1990 → 12th of 187 in 2000 → 20th of 187 in 2010 → 33rd of 187 in 2020 → 85th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 62.58% | -0.3 pp |
| 2024 | 62.93% | -0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 63% | -0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 63.07% | +0.1 pp |
| 2021 | 62.93% | -5.3 pp |
| 2020 | 68.26% | +5.0 pp |
| 2019 | 63.27% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 63.37% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 63.47% | -1.8 pp |
| 2016 | 65.23% | -1.7 pp |
| 2015 | 66.96% | -1.7 pp |
| 2014 | 68.64% | -1.6 pp |
| 2013 | 70.27% | -1.6 pp |
| 2012 | 71.85% | -1.5 pp |
| 2011 | 73.38% | -1.4 pp |
| 2010 | 74.74% | -1.3 pp |
| 2009 | 76.05% | -1.3 pp |
| 2008 | 77.31% | -1.2 pp |
| 2007 | 78.52% | -1.2 pp |
| 2006 | 79.69% | -1.1 pp |
| 2005 | 80.81% | +0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 80.81% | -0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 80.82% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 80.82% | -0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 80.83% | -0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 80.84% | -0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 80.86% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 80.86% | +0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 80.85% | +0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 80.84% | +0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 80.84% | +0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 80.82% | +0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 80.79% | +0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 80.75% | +0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 80.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 1990 | 80.65% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Malawi’s Labor participation in 1991?
80.7% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of population ages 15+, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Malawi’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -22.4% in total — about 0.7% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 62.58%; 2024: 62.93%; 2023: 63%; 2022: 63.07%; 2021: 62.93%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.TLF.CACT.ZS — Labor Force Participation Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.