By Gabriel Mwale and Chrisborn Dakamawo
Malawi on Monday joined the rest of the continent in commemorating African Statistics Day, an annual event highlighting the importance of data in shaping Africas development agenda.
This years commemoration coincided with the official release of the 2024 Labour Force Survey (LFS) by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
NSO held a press briefing in Zomba on African Statistics Day, held under the African Unions 2025 theme: Leveraging innovations in data and statistics to promote a just, peaceful, inclusive and prosperous society for Africans.
NSO Commissioner Shelton Kanyanda said the 2024 LFS findings come at a time when Malawi is emphasising evidence-based policies to address unemployment, informality, and youth vulnerability.
He explained that the survey reveals major structural challenges, noting that out of the countrys estimated 10.9 million working-age population, only 48.4 percent participate in the labour market.
The Commissioner added that the employment-to-population ratio stands at 38 percent, meaning fewer than four in ten working-age Malawians are employed.
Kanyanda said 39.3 percent of employed Malawians work in agriculture, with most lacking formal contracts or job security.
“The survey shows that 91.5 percent of employed Malawians work informally, meaning they lack social security, written contracts or stable income. In agriculture alone, informality reaches 97.6 percent,” he said.
The LFS further indicates that 19.7 percent of Malawians in the labour force are unemployed, while overall labour underutilisation stands at 55.5 percent, combining unemployment, time-related underemployment, and the potential labour force.
Youth outcomes remain a major concern. The survey shows that 21.6 percent of youth aged 1535 are unemployed, while 41.4 percent are not in employment, education, or training (NEET).
Kanyanda said these findings highlight the need for targeted skills development and job-creation programmes.
He added that innovations in data collection improved the quality of the survey, complementing ongoing programmes such as the Spotlight Initiative, which uses digital tools to track gender-based violence trends in selected districts.
While the 2024 survey provides critical insights, the Commissioner noted that direct comparisons with past surveys are challenging due to changes in unemployment definitions and improved measurement tools.
He urged ministries, development partners, researchers, and the private sector to make full use of the findings to guide policy reforms as Malawi works towards its national goals and the African Union Agenda 2063.
