Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) was 12.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 12.7%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 21.2% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 12.7%, in 2025.
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 36th 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 21.2% | — |
| 1992 | 21.2% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 20.9% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 20.4% | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 20.1% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 19.5% | -3.0% |
| 1997 | 19.5% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 18.5% | -5.6% |
| 1999 | 18.9% | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 18.4% | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 18.4% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 18.4% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 18.1% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 17.9% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 17.5% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 16.8% | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 16.1% | -4.4% |
| 2008 | 15.5% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 15.5% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 15.1% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 14.8% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 14.6% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 14.4% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 14.0% | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 13.9% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 14.0% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 14.1% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 14.1% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 13.8% | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 14.8% | +7.3% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 13.6% | -5.5% |
| 2023 | 13.1% | -3.5% |
| 2024 | 12.9% | -2.1% |
| 2025 | 12.7% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.0% | 18.5% | 21.2% | 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 33 Bangladesh 44.3% compare
- 34 Tajikistan 43.3% compare
- 35 Solomon Islands 42.5% compare
- 36 Bhutan 42.4% compare
- 37 Cameroon 41.9% compare
- 38 India 41.6% compare
- 39 Liberia 41.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.49 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 497.31 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 7.1% (2025)
- Rural population 120.45 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.6% (2025)
- Rural population 18.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.1% (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1849 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 21.2% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.7% in 2025.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for employment in agriculture (% of total employment)?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 36th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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).