Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Germany
Germany: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 1.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Germany, 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 Germany stood at 1.2%. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.3% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Germany peaked at 3.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 2023.
That places Germany 173rd out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom 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 Germany, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 3.7% | — |
| 1992 | 3.6% | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 3.5% | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 3.3% | -7.1% |
| 1995 | 3.2% | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | -7.4% |
| 1997 | 2.9% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 2.8% | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 2.9% | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | -7.9% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | -4.9% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 2.3% | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 1.8% | -21.0% |
| 2009 | 1.7% | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 1.6% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 1.6% | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 1.3% | -6.1% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | -3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.8% | 3.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 1.7% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 170 United Arab Emirates 1.3% compare
- 171 United States Virgin Islands 1.3% compare
- 172 Canada 1.3% compare
- 174 Puerto Rico 1.2% compare
- 175 Djibouti 1.1% compare
- 176 Malta 1.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Germany
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0087 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 527.18 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6813 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1786 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Germany?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Germany was 1.2% 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2023.
- How does Germany rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Germany ranks 173rd 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 Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.