Malawi Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Malawi's unemployment rate was 5.07% in 2025, ranked 88th globally. This represents a 0.4% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Malawi's unemployment rate stood at 5.07% in 2025, a rise of +0.02pp from 2024. Malawi ranked 88th globally.
Malawi’s unemployment rate has hovered near the mid‑single‑digit range over the past 35 years, rising from 4.90% in 1991 to a modest peak of 5.72% in 2020 before easing to 5.07% in 2025, which places the country at 88th globally. The all‑time trough of 4.69% in 1997 marked the lowest point in the series, after which the rate has generally trended upward, reflecting limited job creation amid structural constraints in agriculture and informal sectors. Compared with peers of similar rank, Malawi’s 2025 figure of 5.07% is virtually identical to Vanuatu’s 5.07% and only slightly above Nicaragua’s 5.04%, suggesting that its labour market performance aligns with other low‑income economies facing comparable demographic pressures. Looking ahead, sustained investment in vocational training and diversification of the export base could help contain the unemployment rate, while any slowdown in these reforms might reverse the recent modest decline.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.07% | +0.02pp | #88 |
| 2024 | 5.05% | +0.04pp | #94 |
| 2023 | 5.01% | −0.01pp | #91 |
| 2022 | 5.02% | −0.63pp | #90 |
| 2021 | 5.65% | −0.07pp | #91 |
| 2020 | 5.72% | +0.76pp | #85 |
| 2019 | 4.96% | −0.06pp | #88 |
| 2018 | 5.02% | −0.03pp | #87 |
| 2017 | 5.05% | +0.04pp | #85 |
| 2016 | 5.01% | +0.06pp | #79 |
| 2015 | 4.95% | −0.01pp | #73 |
| 2014 | 4.97% | −0.01pp | #72 |
| 2013 | 4.98% | +0.03pp | #73 |
| 2012 | 4.95% | +0.12pp | #74 |
| 2011 | 4.83% | +0.05pp | #71 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Malawi matched the Currency Crisis Pattern pattern in 2016. Historically, 27% of countries showing this pattern (35 out of 128) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Malawi's unemployment rate was 5.07% in 2025. Ranked 88th globally. This represents a 0.4% increase from the previous year.
Malawi's unemployment rate peaked at 5.72% in 2020.
The lowest unemployment rate in Malawi was 4.69% in 1997.
Malawi ranks 88th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
The unemployment rate of Malawi in 2025 was 5.07%. This ranks 88th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_malawi_unemployment-rate,
title = {Malawi Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/malawi/unemployment-rate/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}