Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Ecuador
Ecuador: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 30.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Ecuador, 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 Ecuador stood at 30.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.8% on the previous year and up 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Ecuador peaked at 32.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 25.3%, in 2014.
That places Ecuador 59th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 27.0% | — |
| 1992 | 27.4% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 26.9% | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 27.5% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 27.7% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 27.8% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 27.2% | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 27.4% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 27.7% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 28.1% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 29.1% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 28.5% | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 29.9% | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 30.6% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 30.5% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 29.6% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 28.5% | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 28.0% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 28.5% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 27.9% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 27.9% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 28.0% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 26.6% | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 25.3% | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 26.2% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 26.9% | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 27.7% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 28.8% | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 29.7% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 31.8% | +7.0% |
| 2021 | 32.3% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 31.5% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 30.0% | -4.8% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 30.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.1%, 1.8× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 30.0% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.0%, 2.5× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 27.4% | 26.9% | 27.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 29.1% | 28.0% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.5% | 25.3% | 29.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.4% | 30.0% | 32.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More agriculture & rural data for Ecuador
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.097 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 691.36 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4287 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3661 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 9.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 9.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 3.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Ecuador?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Ecuador was 30.0% 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 32.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.3% in 2014.
- How does Ecuador rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Ecuador ranks 59th 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 Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ecuador 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.