Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Nepal
Nepal: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 61.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Nepal, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Nepal is 61.2%, measured 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 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Nepal peaked at 77.8% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 61.2%, in 2023.
Nepal ranks 13th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
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 Nepal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 77.8% | — |
| 1992 | 77.5% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 77.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 76.6% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 76.1% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 75.5% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 74.9% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 74.1% | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 73.5% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 73.4% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 73.3% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 73.5% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 73.4% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 73.1% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 72.8% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 70.7% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 69.6% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 68.7% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 68.0% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 67.5% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 67.1% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 66.6% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 66.1% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 65.4% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 64.7% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 64.2% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 63.5% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 62.8% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 62.2% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 62.1% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 62.0% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 61.5% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 61.2% | -0.5% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 61.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 34.4%, 1.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 61.2% is above the median for South Asia, which is 39.4%, 1.6× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 75.9% | 73.5% | 77.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 71.6% | 68.0% | 73.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.0% | 62.2% | 67.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.7% | 61.2% | 62.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More agriculture & rural data for Nepal
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2156 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 331.1 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.7937 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.33 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 21.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 21.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.6% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Nepal?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Nepal was 61.2% 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 77.8% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.2% in 2023.
- How does Nepal rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Nepal ranks 13th 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 Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal 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.