Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Uruguay
Uruguay: Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) was 8.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Uruguay, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Uruguay recorded 8.1% for employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and down 16.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Uruguay peaked at 12.9% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 8.1%, in 2025.
Uruguay ranks 118th 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 Uruguay, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 12.8% | — |
| 1992 | 12.2% | -4.4% |
| 1993 | 10.9% | -11.2% |
| 1994 | 11.7% | +7.9% |
| 1995 | 12.9% | +9.7% |
| 1996 | 12.4% | -3.8% |
| 1997 | 11.8% | -4.4% |
| 1998 | 11.5% | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 11.2% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 10.9% | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 11.2% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 11.3% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 12.0% | +6.3% |
| 2004 | 12.9% | +7.5% |
| 2005 | 12.2% | -5.6% |
| 2006 | 11.7% | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 11.6% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 11.5% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 11.9% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 12.6% | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 10.7% | -15.1% |
| 2012 | 9.4% | -11.9% |
| 2013 | 10.1% | +7.9% |
| 2014 | 10.0% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 9.6% | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 9.0% | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 9.5% | +6.2% |
| 2018 | 9.1% | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 8.9% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 9.1% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 9.0% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 8.7% | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 8.6% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 8.3% | -3.0% |
| 2025 | 8.1% | -2.9% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 8.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.4%, 3.3× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 8.1% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 11.5%, 70% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.9% | 10.9% | 12.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.7% | 10.9% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.9% | 8.9% | 12.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.6% | 8.1% | 9.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
- 115 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 8.9% compare
- 116 North Macedonia 8.5% compare
- 117 Iraq 8.2% compare
- 119 Brazil 7.6% compare
- 120 Saint Lucia 7.5% compare
- 121 Dominican Republic 7.0% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Uruguay
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 3.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0638 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,609 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.32 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0435 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 14.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Uruguay?
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in Uruguay was 8.1% 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 Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 12.9% in 2004.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.1% in 2025.
- How does Uruguay rank for employment in agriculture (% of total employment)?
- Uruguay ranks 118th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uruguay 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).