Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Libya
Libya: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 8.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Libya, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Libya recorded 8.7% 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.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Libya peaked at 13.5% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 2023.
That places Libya 118th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 Libya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 13.3% | — |
| 1992 | 13.3% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 13.4% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 13.3% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 13.5% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 13.4% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 13.4% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 13.2% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 13.2% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 13.0% | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 12.9% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 12.9% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 12.4% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 12.1% | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 11.6% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 11.2% | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 10.8% | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 10.7% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 10.5% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 10.3% | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 9.5% | -7.5% |
| 2012 | 9.9% | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 10.0% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 10.1% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 9.8% | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 9.7% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 9.2% | -5.3% |
| 2018 | 9.0% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 9.1% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 9.2% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 9.1% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 8.8% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 8.7% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.3% | 13.2% | 13.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.8% | 10.5% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 9.0% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.0% | 8.7% | 9.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Libya
More agriculture & rural data for Libya
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -37.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.015 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 96.79 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.835 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1209 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2019)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.4% (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Libya?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Libya was 8.7% 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 Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 13.5% in 1995.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 2023.
- How does Libya rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Libya ranks 118th 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 Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Libya 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.