Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Kenya
Kenya: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 32.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Kenya, 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 Kenya stood at 32.3%. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Kenya peaked at 48.4% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 32.3%, in 2023.
Kenya ranks 53rd of 186 countries on this measure, 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 48.4% | — |
| 1992 | 48.3% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 48.1% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 47.7% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 47.4% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 46.9% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 46.6% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 46.1% | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 45.7% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 45.3% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 44.7% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 44.2% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 43.7% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 43.1% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 42.4% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 41.8% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 41.1% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 40.6% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 40.2% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 39.5% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 38.9% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 38.3% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 37.6% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 36.9% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 36.3% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 35.6% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 35.0% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 34.3% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 33.6% | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 33.6% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 33.4% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 32.8% | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 32.3% | -1.6% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 32.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 34.4%, 94% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 32.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.0%, 75% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 47.2% | 45.7% | 48.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 42.7% | 40.2% | 45.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.6% | 33.6% | 39.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.0% | 32.3% | 33.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More agriculture & rural data for Kenya
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 16.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2316 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 547.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6779 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 12.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Kenya?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Kenya was 32.3% 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 48.4% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.3% in 2023.
- How does Kenya rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Kenya ranks 53rd 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 Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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.