Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Malaysia
Malaysia: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 9.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Malaysia, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 9.8% 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 1.7% on the previous year and down 22.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Malaysia peaked at 18.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 9.8%, in 2023.
That places Malaysia 113th 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 18.3% | — |
| 1992 | 18.0% | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 17.3% | -3.8% |
| 1994 | 17.0% | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 16.7% | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 16.5% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 15.6% | -5.7% |
| 1998 | 16.2% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 15.7% | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 15.2% | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 15.1% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 14.9% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 14.3% | -4.4% |
| 2004 | 14.6% | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 14.6% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 14.6% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 14.7% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 14.0% | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 13.5% | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 13.3% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 13.3% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 13.3% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 12.7% | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 12.6% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 12.5% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 11.4% | -8.8% |
| 2017 | 11.3% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 10.6% | -5.9% |
| 2019 | 10.2% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 10.5% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 10.3% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 10.0% | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 9.8% | -1.7% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 9.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.1%, 58% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 9.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 26.1%, 38% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.8% | 15.6% | 18.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 13.5% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.1% | 10.2% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.1% | 9.8% | 10.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 110 Saint Lucia 10.4% compare
- 111 Belarus 10.0% compare
- 112 Cape Verde 9.9% compare
- 114 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9.6% compare
- 115 Algeria 9.3% compare
- 116 North Macedonia 9.3% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malaysia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0822 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,078 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.913 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2261 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Malaysia?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Malaysia was 9.8% 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 18.3% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.8% in 2023.
- How does Malaysia rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Malaysia ranks 113th 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 Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.