Malawi 2015-16

Women and men are most commonly employed in
agriculture (59% and 44%, respectively), followed
by unskilled manual labour (20% and 25%,
respectively) (Tables 3.7.1 and 3.7.2, Figure 3.5).
Women are much less likely to be employed in
skilled manual labour than men (2% versus 14%),
but are equally likely to be employed in professional,
technical, or managerial occupations (7% each).
Women who did agriculture work in past year were
less likely to receive any payment for their work
than those who did non-agriculture work (73%
versus 36%). More than 6 in 10 women (64%) who
worked in past year were self-employed (Table 3.8).
Patterns by background characteristics
• Urban women are most likely to be employed in
sales and services (26%) and in the professional,
Domestic service
3
technical or managerial sector (26%), while
urban men are most likely to be employed in
skilled manual sector (31%). In rural areas,
Agriculture
44
however, the majority of women and men work in agriculture (68% and 52%, respectively).
• Women and men with more than secondary education are equally likely to work in professional,
technical, and managerial occupations (67% each). Women and men with no primary or secondary
education most often work in agriculture.
3.6 HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE
Ninety-nine percent of women and 98% of men age 15-49 do not have health insurance coverage (Tables
3.9.1 and 3.9.2). Coverage is extremely low across all background characteristics except those with more
than secondary education; 25% of women and 28% of men with more than secondary school have some
form of insurance.
3.7 TOBACCO USE
Tobacco use is rare among women age 15-49 with fewer than 1% reporting that they currently smoke
cigarettes (Table 3.10.1). Among men age 15-49, 12% currently smoke tobacco including 8% of men who
smoke on a daily basis (Table 3.10.2). Among men who smoke cigarettes daily, three-quarters (74%)
smoke between 1 and 9 cigarettes each day; and 5% of daily cigarette smokers who smoke 25 or more
cigarettes each day (Table 3.11). Fewer than 1% of women and men use smokeless tobacco products
(Table 3.12).
Trends: The percentage of men age 15-49 who do not smoke tobacco has increased from 77% in 2000 to
87% in 2015-16.
Patterns by background characteristics
Figure 3.5 Occupation
Percentage of women and men age 15-49
employed in the 12 months before the
survey by occupation
Professional/technical/
managerial
Clerical
Sales and services
Skilled manual
Unskilled manual
• Tobacco smoking rises sharply with age among men, from a low of 2% among those age 15-19 to a
high of 25% among those age 40-44.
• Tobacco use declines markedly by education level; only 6% of men with more than secondary
education smoke compared with 28% of men with no education.
2
2
2
2
7
7
6
8
14
25
20
Men
Women
59
Characteristics of Respondents • 35