Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Myanmar
Myanmar: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 45.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Myanmar, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Myanmar recorded 45.2% 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 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Myanmar peaked at 69.6% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 45.2%, in 2023.
That places Myanmar 29th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
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 Myanmar, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 69.6% | — |
| 1992 | 69.1% | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 68.9% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 68.7% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 66.8% | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 65.2% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 63.4% | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 62.8% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 62.5% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 61.7% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 61.2% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 60.3% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 59.3% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 58.4% | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 57.6% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 56.7% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 56.1% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 55.2% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 54.5% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 53.9% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 53.4% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 53.0% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 52.6% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 52.3% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 51.7% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 51.5% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 51.3% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 48.9% | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 49.8% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 46.5% | -6.6% |
| 2021 | 46.1% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 45.4% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 45.2% | -0.5% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 45.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 34.4%, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 45.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 26.1%, 1.7× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.3% | 62.5% | 69.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 58.1% | 54.5% | 61.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.8% | 48.9% | 53.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.8% | 45.2% | 46.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
- 26 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 46.8% compare
- 27 Afghanistan 45.5% compare
- 28 Côte d'Ivoire 45.2% compare
- 30 Haiti 44.7% compare
- 31 Bhutan 43.8% compare
- 32 Vanuatu 43.6% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Myanmar
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.253 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 376.69 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4495 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6942 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 25.3% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 25.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 3.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Myanmar?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Myanmar was 45.2% 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 69.6% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.2% in 2023.
- How does Myanmar rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Myanmar ranks 29th 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 Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.