Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cambodia
Cambodia: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 36.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cambodia, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cambodia is 36.0%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 27.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cambodia peaked at 78.7% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 36.0%, in 2023.
That places Cambodia 44th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cambodia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 78.5% | — |
| 1992 | 78.3% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 78.3% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 78.7% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 78.3% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 77.6% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 77.0% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 76.3% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 75.5% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 73.5% | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 68.9% | -6.2% |
| 2002 | 67.2% | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 65.7% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 63.7% | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 62.1% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 60.1% | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 58.1% | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 55.9% | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 58.0% | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 54.8% | -5.6% |
| 2011 | 56.5% | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 53.2% | -5.9% |
| 2013 | 49.5% | -6.9% |
| 2014 | 46.0% | -7.1% |
| 2015 | 42.5% | -7.7% |
| 2016 | 37.5% | -11.6% |
| 2017 | 38.2% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 39.0% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 39.9% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 36.9% | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 37.1% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 36.7% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 36.0% | -1.8% |
Cambodia compared with similar countries
- Cambodia's 36.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 34.4%, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Cambodia's 36.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 26.1%, 1.4× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 77.6% | 75.5% | 78.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 63.3% | 55.9% | 73.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.7% | 37.5% | 56.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.7% | 36.0% | 37.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cambodia
- 41 Solomon Islands 37.6% compare
- 42 Timor-Leste 36.8% compare
- 43 Pakistan 36.1% compare
- 45 Azerbaijan 35.5% compare
- 46 Ghana 35.4% compare
- 47 Bangladesh 35.3% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Cambodia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.49 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1611 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 462.77 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.7882 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5889 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 3.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cambodia?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cambodia was 36.0% in 2023, according to ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Cambodia?
- The highest recorded value was 78.7% in 1994.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Cambodia?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.0% in 2023.
- How does Cambodia rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Cambodia ranks 44th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Cambodia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cambodia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of people employed in agriculture includes working-age people with a job in farming, forestry, fishing, and related activities, including those temporarily absent.