Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Bhutan
Bhutan: Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) was 42.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Bhutan, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Bhutan is 42.4%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 26.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Bhutan peaked at 67.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 42.4%, in 2025.
Bhutan ranks 36th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 67.7% | — |
| 1992 | 67.1% | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 66.7% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 66.4% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 66.0% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 65.6% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 65.3% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 65.0% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 64.6% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 64.3% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 63.9% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 63.5% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 63.1% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 62.7% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 62.3% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 62.1% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 61.5% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 61.1% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 60.4% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 59.6% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 60.1% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 58.4% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 56.3% | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 56.7% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 58.0% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 56.6% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 55.5% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 54.0% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 51.1% | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 49.9% | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 49.9% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 44.0% | -11.8% |
| 2023 | 43.8% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 43.2% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 42.4% | -1.9% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 42.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 35.4%, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 42.4% is above the median for South Asia, which is 33.7%, 1.3× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.0% | 64.6% | 67.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 62.5% | 60.4% | 64.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.6% | 51.1% | 60.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.5% | 42.4% | 49.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 33 Bangladesh 44.3% compare
- 34 Tajikistan 43.3% compare
- 35 Solomon Islands 42.5% compare
- 37 Cameroon 41.9% compare
- 38 India 41.6% compare
- 39 Liberia 41.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Bhutan
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 3.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1368 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 614.64 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.8653 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5657 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 13.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 13.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Bhutan?
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Bhutan was 42.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 67.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.4% in 2025.
- How does Bhutan rank for employment in agriculture (% of total employment)?
- Bhutan ranks 36th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The agriculture sector consists of activities in agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing, in accordance with division 1 (ISIC 2) or categories A-B (ISIC 3) or category A (ISIC 4).