Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Mauritius
Mauritius: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 5.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Mauritius, 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 Mauritius stood at 5.3%.
The figure is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Mauritius peaked at 15.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2020.
That places Mauritius 134th 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 Mauritius, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 15.3% | — |
| 1992 | 14.4% | -5.7% |
| 1993 | 14.1% | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 13.8% | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 14.5% | +5.0% |
| 1996 | 13.0% | -9.9% |
| 1997 | 12.5% | -3.9% |
| 1998 | 11.9% | -5.0% |
| 1999 | 11.2% | -5.9% |
| 2000 | 11.4% | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 11.7% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 10.8% | -8.0% |
| 2003 | 12.8% | +18.3% |
| 2004 | 10.1% | -21.2% |
| 2005 | 10.0% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 9.7% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 9.4% | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 9.1% | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 9.0% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 8.6% | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 7.7% | -10.5% |
| 2012 | 7.7% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 7.2% | -6.7% |
| 2014 | 7.3% | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 7.5% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 7.2% | -4.5% |
| 2017 | 7.0% | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 6.2% | -10.8% |
| 2019 | 5.6% | -10.0% |
| 2020 | 5.3% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 5.3% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 5.5% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 5.3% | -2.6% |
Mauritius compared with similar countries
- Mauritius's 5.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.1%, 31% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Mauritius's 5.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.0%, 12% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.4% | 11.2% | 15.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 10.4% | 9.0% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.2% | 5.6% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.4% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mauritius
More agriculture & rural data for Mauritius
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 17.99 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0462 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 599.72 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1976 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6096 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Mauritius?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Mauritius was 5.3% 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 Mauritius?
- The highest recorded value was 15.3% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Mauritius?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2020.
- How does Mauritius rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Mauritius ranks 134th 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 Mauritius?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mauritius 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.