Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Iraq
Iraq: Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) was 8.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Iraq, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Iraq stood at 8.2%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Iraq peaked at 17.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 8.2%, in 2025.
That places Iraq 117th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Iraq, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 17.9% | — |
| 1992 | 17.7% | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 17.5% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 17.2% | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 17.0% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 16.4% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 15.6% | -4.4% |
| 1998 | 14.4% | -7.7% |
| 1999 | 13.9% | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 13.4% | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 13.0% | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 13.1% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 12.9% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 12.8% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 12.6% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 12.2% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 11.9% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 11.6% | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 11.2% | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 10.9% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 10.6% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 10.2% | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 9.8% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 9.6% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 9.5% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 8.9% | -5.5% |
| 2017 | 9.0% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 8.9% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 8.5% | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 8.8% | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 8.6% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 8.5% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 8.4% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 8.2% | -2.2% |
| 2025 | 8.2% | -0.1% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 8.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.5%, 53% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 8.2% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 6.3%, 1.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.4% | 13.9% | 17.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 12.5% | 11.2% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 8.5% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.4% | 8.2% | 8.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 114 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9.1% compare
- 115 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 8.9% compare
- 116 North Macedonia 8.5% compare
- 118 Uruguay 8.1% compare
- 119 Brazil 7.6% compare
- 120 Saint Lucia 7.5% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Iraq
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -8.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0341 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 184.67 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.94 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3006 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2016)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.1% (2014)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Iraq?
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Iraq was 8.2% 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 17.9% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.2% in 2025.
- How does Iraq rank for employment in agriculture (% of total employment)?
- Iraq ranks 117th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iraq 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.
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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).