Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) was 12.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean, 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 Latin America & Caribbean is 12.7%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 21.1% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 12.7%, in 2025.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 37th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 21.1% | — |
| 1992 | 21.1% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 20.8% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 20.4% | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 20.1% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 19.5% | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 19.5% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 18.4% | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 18.8% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 18.3% | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 18.4% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 18.3% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 18.1% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 17.8% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 17.5% | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 16.8% | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 16.0% | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 15.5% | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 15.5% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 15.1% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 14.9% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 14.6% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 14.5% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 14.0% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 14.0% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 14.1% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 14.1% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 14.1% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 13.8% | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 14.8% | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 13.6% | -5.5% |
| 2023 | 13.1% | -3.4% |
| 2024 | 12.9% | -2.1% |
| 2025 | 12.7% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.0% | 18.4% | 21.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 17.2% | 15.5% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 13.8% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.6% | 12.7% | 14.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More agriculture & rural data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 502.91 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 6.8% (2025)
- Rural population 123.28 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.6% (2025)
- Rural population 18.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.3% (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1849 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean was 12.7% 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 Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.7% in 2025.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for employment in agriculture (% of total employment)?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 37th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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).