Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) was 44.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sierra Leone, 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 Sierra Leone is 44.5%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 21.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sierra Leone peaked at 68.6% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 44.5%, in 2025.
Sierra Leone ranks 32nd of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 64.3% | — |
| 1992 | 65.6% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 65.4% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 65.5% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 66.3% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 66.1% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 66.9% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 66.9% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 67.1% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 66.9% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 68.6% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 67.2% | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 66.8% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 68.5% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 68.3% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 68.0% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 67.1% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 66.5% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 66.1% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 64.9% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 63.9% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 61.6% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 59.2% | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 57.6% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 56.9% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 52.9% | -7.1% |
| 2017 | 49.2% | -7.0% |
| 2018 | 46.2% | -6.0% |
| 2019 | 45.4% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 47.1% | +3.6% |
| 2021 | 47.3% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 46.6% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 45.6% | -2.3% |
| 2024 | 45.1% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 44.5% | -1.3% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 44.5% is below the median for low income countries, which is 58.5%, 76% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 44.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.5%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.0% | 64.3% | 67.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 67.4% | 66.1% | 68.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.8% | 45.4% | 64.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.0% | 44.5% | 47.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 29 Côte d'Ivoire 45.4% compare
- 30 Myanmar 45.0% compare
- 31 Vanuatu 44.5% compare
- 33 Bangladesh 44.3% compare
- 34 Tajikistan 43.3% compare
- 35 Solomon Islands 42.5% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sierra Leone
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2954 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 250 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5407 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 29.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 29.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.4% (2018)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sierra Leone?
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Sierra Leone was 44.5% 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 Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 68.6% in 2001.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.5% in 2025.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for employment in agriculture (% of total employment)?
- Sierra Leone ranks 32nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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).