Briefing Paper

Economic Reforms and Policies to Boost Job Creation and Optimise Malawi’s Opportunity to Harness the Demographic Dividend and Accelerate Socio-economic Development

Malawi can by optimizing its economic opportunities and unleashing the power of its youthful population into an asset for development through the demographic dividend (DD), potentially accelerate its socio-economic economic transformation agenda outlined in Vision 2020. The DD is the economic benefit that arises from a significant increase in the ratio of working-age adults relative to young dependents that results from rapid decline in fertility and mortality. The level of the DD that counties can earn, can be augmented through strategic investments in education, skills development, health, job creation and governance. This policy brief highlights key policy and programme opportunities for enhancing economic productivity and job creation as a bedrock for harnessing the DD in Malawi.