Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in India
India: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 43.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in India, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in India is 43.5%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in India peaked at 63.4% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 40.7%, in 2019.
That places India 33rd 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 India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 63.4% | — |
| 1992 | 63.1% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 62.9% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 62.6% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 62.3% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 61.9% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 61.4% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 60.9% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 60.3% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 59.6% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 58.8% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 57.9% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 57.0% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 56.0% | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 55.0% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 54.3% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 53.5% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 52.8% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 51.9% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 51.1% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 49.1% | -3.9% |
| 2012 | 47.1% | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 46.2% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 45.2% | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 44.2% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 43.2% | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 42.3% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 41.3% | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 40.7% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 44.7% | +9.9% |
| 2021 | 44.1% | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 42.9% | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 43.5% | +1.5% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 43.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 34.4%, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- India's 43.5% is above the median for South Asia, which is 39.4%, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 62.1% | 60.3% | 63.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 55.7% | 51.9% | 59.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.0% | 40.7% | 51.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.8% | 42.9% | 44.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
More agriculture & rural data for India
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -2.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1623 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 438.73 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4067 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6431 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in India?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in India was 43.5% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 63.4% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.7% in 2019.
- How does India rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- India ranks 33rd 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 India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.