Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Colombia
Colombia: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 14.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Colombia, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Colombia stood at 14.4%. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 15.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Colombia peaked at 20.9% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 14.4%, in 2023.
That places Colombia 97th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 Colombia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 20.2% | — |
| 1992 | 20.2% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 19.5% | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 18.7% | -4.5% |
| 1995 | 18.4% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 18.5% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 18.1% | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 18.4% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 19.1% | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 20.3% | +6.3% |
| 2001 | 20.9% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 20.1% | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 20.7% | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 19.9% | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 20.3% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 19.5% | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 18.4% | -5.8% |
| 2008 | 18.0% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 18.7% | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 18.5% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 18.0% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 17.6% | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 17.0% | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 16.4% | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 16.3% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 16.3% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 16.9% | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 17.0% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 16.1% | -5.2% |
| 2020 | 16.7% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 15.9% | -4.4% |
| 2022 | 14.7% | -7.9% |
| 2023 | 14.4% | -1.6% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 14.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.1%, 84% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 14.4% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.0%, 1.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.0% | 18.1% | 20.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 19.7% | 18.0% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.0% | 16.1% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.4% | 14.4% | 16.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More agriculture & rural data for Colombia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0995 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 851.52 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.2113 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2122 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 9.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 9.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 5.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Colombia?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Colombia was 14.4% 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 Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 20.9% in 2001.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.4% in 2023.
- How does Colombia rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Colombia ranks 97th 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 Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Colombia 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.