Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) was 54.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Least developed countries, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Least developed countries stood at 54.5%.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Least developed countries peaked at 68.1% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 53.5%, in 2019.
Least developed countries ranks 4th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 67.9% | — |
| 1992 | 68.1% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 68.0% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 68.0% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 67.6% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 67.0% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 66.8% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 66.9% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 66.7% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 66.4% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 65.4% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 64.3% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 63.2% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 62.5% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 61.9% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 61.3% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 60.8% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 60.3% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 59.9% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 59.0% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 58.6% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 58.0% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 57.8% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 57.2% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 56.5% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 55.9% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 55.0% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 54.2% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 53.5% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 55.0% | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 55.6% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 55.2% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 55.5% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 54.9% | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 54.5% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 67.5% | 66.7% | 68.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 62.6% | 59.9% | 66.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.6% | 53.5% | 59.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.1% | 54.5% | 55.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 1 Burundi 85.3% compare
- 2 Mozambique 73.0% compare
- 3 Niger 73.0% compare
- 4 Chad 71.7% compare
- 5 Madagascar 69.2% compare
- 6 Lao People's Democratic Republic 68.6% compare
- 7 Central African Republic 66.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Least developed countries
- Rural population, per capita 0.6336 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 337.24 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 20.4% (2025)
- Rural population 769.36 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Rural population 63.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2019)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 3.1% (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2039 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Least developed countries?
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Least developed countries was 54.5% 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 Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 68.1% in 1992.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.5% in 2019.
- How does Least developed countries rank for employment in agriculture (% of total employment)?
- Least developed countries ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Least developed 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).