Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) was 9.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Malaysia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Malaysia stood at 9.2%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 26.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Malaysia peaked at 18.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 9.2%, in 2025.
Malaysia ranks 113th of 187 countries on this measure, 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 18.9% | — |
| 1992 | 18.3% | -3.1% |
| 1993 | 17.7% | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 17.2% | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 16.7% | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 16.1% | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 14.3% | -11.4% |
| 1998 | 15.7% | +9.4% |
| 1999 | 15.3% | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 15.3% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 15.1% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 14.9% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 14.3% | -4.4% |
| 2004 | 14.6% | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 14.6% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 14.6% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 14.7% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 14.0% | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 13.5% | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 13.3% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 11.9% | -10.7% |
| 2012 | 13.3% | +11.6% |
| 2013 | 12.7% | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 12.6% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 12.5% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 11.4% | -8.8% |
| 2017 | 11.3% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 10.6% | -5.9% |
| 2019 | 10.2% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 10.5% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 10.3% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 10.0% | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 9.7% | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 9.4% | -3.2% |
| 2025 | 9.2% | -2.7% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 9.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.5%, 59% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 9.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 23.6%, 39% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.7% | 14.3% | 18.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 13.5% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.0% | 10.2% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.9% | 9.2% | 10.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 110 Algeria 9.5% compare
- 111 Belarus 9.5% compare
- 112 Cape Verde 9.2% compare
- 114 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9.1% compare
- 115 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 8.9% compare
- 116 North Macedonia 8.5% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malaysia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0822 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,078 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.913 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2261 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Malaysia?
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Malaysia was 9.2% 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 18.9% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.2% in 2025.
- How does Malaysia rank for employment in agriculture (% of total employment)?
- Malaysia ranks 113th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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).