Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cuba
Cuba: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 17.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cuba, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Cuba recorded 17.1% for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cuba peaked at 25.9% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 17.1%, in 2023.
That places Cuba 90th 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 Cuba, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 24.9% | — |
| 1992 | 25.3% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 25.9% | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 25.5% | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 25.1% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 25.1% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 25.2% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 24.8% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 23.3% | -6.1% |
| 2000 | 22.7% | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 21.7% | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 21.7% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 21.7% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 21.2% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 20.2% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 20.0% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 18.7% | -6.4% |
| 2008 | 18.6% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 18.7% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 18.6% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 19.7% | +5.8% |
| 2012 | 19.3% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 18.6% | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 18.9% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 18.7% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 18.4% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 18.2% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 18.0% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 17.7% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 17.9% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 17.8% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 17.3% | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 17.1% | -1.2% |
Cuba compared with similar countries
- Cuba's 17.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.1%, 1.0× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Cuba's 17.1% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.0%, 1.4× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.0% | 23.3% | 25.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 20.5% | 18.6% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.6% | 17.7% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.5% | 17.1% | 17.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cuba
- 87 Romania 17.9% compare
- 88 Bosnia and Herzegovina 17.6% compare
- 89 Paraguay 17.2% compare
- 91 Belize 15.6% compare
- 92 Syrian Arab Republic 15.0% compare
- 93 El Salvador 14.8% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Cuba
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -19.64 % change on previous year (2020)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0276 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2020)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 265.29 current US$ per person (2020)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6522 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2020)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2277 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.2% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.5% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.4% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cuba?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Cuba was 17.1% 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 Cuba?
- The highest recorded value was 25.9% in 1993.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Cuba?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.1% in 2023.
- How does Cuba rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Cuba ranks 90th 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 Cuba?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cuba 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.