Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Latvia
Latvia: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 6.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Latvia, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Latvia recorded 6.8% 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.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 16.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Latvia peaked at 23.2% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 2023.
Latvia ranks 125th 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 Latvia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 23.2% | — |
| 1992 | 22.8% | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 22.3% | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 21.8% | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 21.2% | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 20.5% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 19.8% | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 19.0% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 17.5% | -8.1% |
| 2000 | 14.9% | -14.7% |
| 2001 | 15.5% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 16.2% | +4.9% |
| 2003 | 14.2% | -12.2% |
| 2004 | 13.3% | -6.6% |
| 2005 | 12.1% | -9.4% |
| 2006 | 11.5% | -4.9% |
| 2007 | 10.2% | -11.2% |
| 2008 | 8.0% | -21.8% |
| 2009 | 8.8% | +10.0% |
| 2010 | 8.6% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 8.9% | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 8.4% | -5.9% |
| 2013 | 8.1% | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 7.5% | -6.9% |
| 2015 | 7.9% | +5.8% |
| 2016 | 7.7% | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 6.9% | -10.7% |
| 2018 | 7.0% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 7.3% | +4.6% |
| 2020 | 7.2% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 6.8% | -6.0% |
| 2022 | 6.8% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 6.8% | -0.5% |
Latvia compared with similar countries
- Latvia's 6.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.6%, 2.6× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Latvia's 6.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.9%, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.9% | 17.5% | 23.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 12.5% | 8.0% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.8% | 6.9% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.9% | 6.8% | 7.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Latvia
More agriculture & rural data for Latvia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 12.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0401 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,055 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3137 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Latvia?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Latvia was 6.8% 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 Latvia?
- The highest recorded value was 23.2% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Latvia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 2023.
- How does Latvia rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Latvia ranks 125th 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 Latvia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latvia 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.