Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Malawi
Malawi: Labor force, female (% of total labor force) was 48.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force, female in Malawi, 1990–2025
Source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force, female in Malawi is 48.4%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Malawi peaked at 51.0% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 48.2%, in 2020.
Malawi ranks 33rd of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 51.0% | — |
| 1991 | 50.9% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 50.8% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 50.7% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 50.6% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 50.5% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 50.5% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 50.4% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 50.3% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 50.3% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 50.4% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 50.5% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 50.5% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 50.6% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 50.7% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 50.7% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 50.5% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 50.3% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 50.1% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 49.8% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 49.4% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 49.1% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 49.0% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 48.8% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 48.7% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 48.5% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 48.4% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 48.3% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 48.5% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 48.6% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 48.2% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 48.7% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 48.5% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 48.5% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 48.4% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 48.4% | -0.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 48.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 47.7%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 48.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 47.5%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.6% | 50.3% | 51.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.4% | 49.8% | 50.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.7% | 48.3% | 49.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.4% | 48.2% | 48.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More education data for Malawi
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14,528 (2019)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1.25 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.75 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2193 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.75 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Malawi?
- Labor force, female in Malawi was 48.4% in 2025, according to International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 51.0% in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.2% in 2020.
- How does Malawi rank for labor force, female?
- Malawi ranks 33rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as part of Labor force, female (% of total labor force). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Female labor force as a percentage of the total show the extent to which women are active in the labor force. Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.