Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 55.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Congo, Democratic Republic of the, 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 Congo, Democratic Republic of the stood at 55.1%. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Congo, Democratic Republic of the peaked at 74.6% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 55.1%, in 2023.
That places Congo, Democratic Republic of the 20th 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 Congo, Democratic Republic of the, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 70.4% | — |
| 1992 | 70.9% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 71.5% | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 71.9% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 72.0% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 72.0% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 72.5% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 72.7% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 73.3% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 74.2% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 74.6% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 74.3% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 73.5% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 72.7% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 71.9% | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 71.1% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 70.0% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 68.8% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 67.8% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 66.2% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 64.4% | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 62.6% | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 61.3% | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 59.9% | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 58.8% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 58.3% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 57.8% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 57.0% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 56.3% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 56.3% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 56.2% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 55.6% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 55.1% | -1.0% |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the compared with similar countries
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the's 55.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 55.1%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the's 55.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.0%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 71.9% | 70.4% | 73.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 71.9% | 67.8% | 74.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.2% | 56.3% | 66.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.8% | 55.1% | 56.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Congo, Democratic Republic of the
More agriculture & rural data for Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.9% (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5489 units per person (2025)
- Rural population growth 2.5% (2025)
- Rural population 61.93 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 8.13 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 8.9% (2025)
- Rural population 54.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Congo, Democratic Republic of the was 55.1% 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 Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- The highest recorded value was 74.6% in 2001.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.1% in 2023.
- How does Congo, Democratic Republic of the rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the ranks 20th 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 Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Congo, Democratic Republic of the 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.