Malawi: Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate)

Key figures

Since 1983 it is down 50.04 percentage points from 98.14% in 1983. The World Bank has no value for 32 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

How it compares

In 2024, Malawi had the 19th highest value of the 20 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Malawi in the 2024 ranking

• Jordan — 16th of 20: 52.55%
• Kosovo — 17th of 20: 49.52%
• Bahamas, The — 18th of 20: 49.48%
• South Africa — 20th of 20: 42.97%

What this measures

Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.

Limitations: Data on employment by status are drawn from labor force surveys and household surveys, supplemented by official estimates and censuses for a small group of countries. The labor force survey is the most comprehensive source for internationally comparable employment, but there are still some limitations for comparing data across countries and over time even within a country. Comparability of employment ratios across countries is affected by variations in definitions of employment and population. The biggest difference results from the age range used to define labor force activity. The population base for employment ratios can also vary.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 10 values

Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate) in nearby economies

• Angola — 67.49% (2025)
• Botswana — 56.86% (2024)
• Burkina Faso — 70.98% (2025)
• Ghana — 69.24% (2025)
• Mali — 78.27% (2024)
• Mauritius — 65.29% (2024)
• Namibia — 34.34% (2023)
• Rwanda — 76.15% (2025)
• Senegal

More social protection & labor data for Malawi

• Net migration — -5,628 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 551 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 35,241 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 43.7% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 48.77% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 46.21% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 58.96% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Malawi's employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (national estimate)?

48.09% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1983?

It is down 50.04 percentage points from 98.14% in 1983. The highest value was 98.14% in 1983 and the lowest 48.09% in 2024.

How does Malawi rank?

19th highest of 20 economies with data for 2024.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.MA.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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