Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 50.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Guinea-Bissau, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Guinea-Bissau recorded 50.0% 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.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Guinea-Bissau peaked at 62.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 50.0%, in 2023.
Guinea-Bissau ranks 25th of 186 countries on this measure, 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 Guinea-Bissau, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 62.9% | — |
| 1992 | 62.8% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 62.7% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 62.6% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 62.3% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 61.5% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 60.9% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 62.2% | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 62.0% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 61.3% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 60.9% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 60.9% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 60.7% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 60.2% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 59.6% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 59.2% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 58.7% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 58.2% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 57.6% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 56.9% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 55.8% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 56.0% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 55.4% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 55.1% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 54.3% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 53.3% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 52.4% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 51.9% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 51.1% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 51.2% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 51.1% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 50.5% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 50.0% | -1.1% |
Guinea-Bissau compared with similar countries
- Guinea-Bissau's 50.0% is below the median for low income countries, which is 55.1%, 91% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Guinea-Bissau's 50.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.0%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 62.2% | 60.9% | 62.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 59.7% | 57.6% | 61.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.2% | 51.1% | 56.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.7% | 50.0% | 51.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Guinea-Bissau
- 22 Zimbabwe 52.5% compare
- 23 Armenia 52.3% compare
- 24 Republic of Moldova 51.1% compare
- 26 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 46.8% compare
- 27 Afghanistan 45.5% compare
- 28 Côte d'Ivoire 45.2% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Guinea-Bissau
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.4063 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 456.57 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5335 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 40.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 40.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 31.5% (2018)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Guinea-Bissau?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Guinea-Bissau was 50.0% 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 Guinea-Bissau?
- The highest recorded value was 62.9% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Guinea-Bissau?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.0% in 2023.
- How does Guinea-Bissau rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Guinea-Bissau ranks 25th 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 Guinea-Bissau?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guinea-Bissau 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.