Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Malawi

Self-employed in Malawi in 2025 — 61.3%. Ranked 43 in the world out of 182. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 3.9 pp.

2025 61.3% −0.1 pp vs 2024
World rank 43of 182
Period maximum 65.2%1994
Period minimum 61.3%2025

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Malawi, 1991–202561626364656619911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 65.1%1992: 65.1%1993: 65.1%1994: 65.2%1995: 65%1996: 64.8%1997: 64.5%1998: 64.3%1999: 64.1%2000: 64%2001: 64%2002: 64%2003: 64%2004: 64%2005: 63.9%2006: 63.8%2007: 63.6%2008: 63.4%2009: 63.1%2010: 62.9%2011: 62.7%2012: 62.6%2013: 62.4%2014: 62.3%2015: 62.2%2016: 62.1%2017: 62%2018: 62%2019: 61.8%2020: 61.9%2021: 61.5%2022: 61.4%2023: 61.4%2024: 61.3%2025: 61.3%
Change over the period: −3.9 pp Annual average: -0.11 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Malawi

Malawi 61.3%
World 46.4%
Eastern Africa computed 78.1%
Low-income countries computed 78.5%
Self-employed — Malawi, by year Malawi All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 61.3 −0.1 pp
2024 61.3 −0 pp
2023 61.4 −0.1 pp
2022 61.4 −0 pp
2021 61.5 −0.5 pp
2020 61.9 +0.1 pp
2019 61.8 −0.1 pp
2018 62 −0.1 pp
2017 62 −0.1 pp
2016 62.1 −0.1 pp
2015 62.2 −0.1 pp
2014 62.3 −0.1 pp
2013 62.4 −0.1 pp
2012 62.6 −0.1 pp
2011 62.7 −0.2 pp
2010 62.9 −0.2 pp
2009 63.1 −0.2 pp
2008 63.4 −0.2 pp
2007 63.6 −0.2 pp
2006 63.8 −0.1 pp
2005 63.9 −0.1 pp
2004 64 −0 pp
2003 64 −0 pp
2002 64 +0 pp
2001 64 +0 pp
2000 64 −0.1 pp
1999 64.1 −0.2 pp
1998 64.3 −0.3 pp
1997 64.5 −0.2 pp
1996 64.8 −0.3 pp
1995 65 −0.2 pp
1994 65.2 +0.2 pp
1993 65.1 −0.1 pp
1992 65.1 −0 pp
1991 65.1

About the indicator

The share of total employment that is self-employed: employers, own-account workers, members of producers cooperatives and contributing family workers. High values in low-income countries reflect not developed entrepreneurship but the absence of wage jobs and informal work in agriculture and small-scale trade.

Source: ILOSTAT (ILO), license CC BY 4.0.