Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in World
World: Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) was 25.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in World, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in World stood at 25.8%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.2% on the previous year and down 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in World peaked at 42.8% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 25.8%, in 2025.
World ranks 21st of 47 groups 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 World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 42.8% | — |
| 1992 | 42.6% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 41.9% | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 41.3% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 40.6% | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 39.9% | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 39.4% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 39.5% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 39.5% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 39.3% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 39.0% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 38.7% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 38.2% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 37.2% | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 36.3% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 35.2% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 34.3% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 33.7% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 33.2% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 32.6% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 31.7% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 30.9% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 30.1% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 29.2% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 28.5% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 28.0% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 27.5% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 26.8% | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 26.3% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 27.2% | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 26.9% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 26.9% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 26.6% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 26.1% | -1.8% |
| 2025 | 25.8% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 40.8% | 39.4% | 42.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 36.5% | 33.2% | 39.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.2% | 26.3% | 32.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.6% | 25.8% | 27.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near World
- 18 Zambia 54.5% compare
- 19 Zimbabwe 54.3% compare
- 20 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 54.1% compare
- 21 Angola 51.9% compare
- 22 Burkina Faso 51.8% compare
- 23 Afghanistan 51.6% compare
- 24 Republic of Moldova 50.5% compare
More agriculture & rural data for World
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0401 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 577.68 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2984 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4217 units per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2024)
- Rural population 42.2% (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in World?
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) in World was 25.8% 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 42.8% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture (% of total employment) recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.8% in 2025.
- How does World rank for employment in agriculture (% of total employment)?
- World ranks 21st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment in agriculture (% of total employment) rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this World 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).