Economically active population in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Economically active population in agriculture was 208.80 million number in 2012. ▲ Rising
Latest (2012)
208.80 million number
Change on year
up 2.1%
Rank
3rd
of 6 groups
All-time high
208.80 million number
in 2012
All-time low
105.81 million number
in 1980
Years of data
33
1980–2012
Economically active population in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1980–2012
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, Production Yearbook and data files. Measured in number.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 208.80 million number for economically active population in agriculture in 2012. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 22.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, economically active population in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 208.80 million number in 2012 and was at its lowest, 105.81 million number, in 1980.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Economically active population in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 105.81 million number | — |
| 1981 | 108.13 million number | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 110.52 million number | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 112.96 million number | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 115.24 million number | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 117.70 million number | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 120.21 million number | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 122.90 million number | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 125.80 million number | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 128.77 million number | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 131.82 million number | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 134.88 million number | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 137.94 million number | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 141.04 million number | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 144.30 million number | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 147.54 million number | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 150.75 million number | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 153.94 million number | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 157.12 million number | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 160.32 million number | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 163.55 million number | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 166.83 million number | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 170.23 million number | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 173.71 million number | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 177.44 million number | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 181.18 million number | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 184.60 million number | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 188.34 million number | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 192.21 million number | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 196.19 million number | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 200.28 million number | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 204.49 million number | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 208.80 million number | +2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 116.80 million number | 105.81 million number | 128.77 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 145.97 million number | 131.82 million number | 160.32 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 179.43 million number | 163.55 million number | 196.19 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 204.53 million number | 200.28 million number | 208.80 million number | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 395.90 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 17.9% (2025)
- Rural population 731.36 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.6% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1792 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is economically active population in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Economically active population in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 208.80 million number in 2012, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, Production Yearbook and data files.
- What is the highest economically active population in agriculture recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 208.80 million number in 2012.
- What is the lowest economically active population in agriculture recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 105.81 million number in 1980.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for economically active population in agriculture?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 3rd out of 6 groups with data for 2012.
- Is economically active population in agriculture rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, Production Yearbook and data files, published as part of Economically active population in agriculture (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Agricultural employment shows the number of workers in the agricultural sector.