Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in New Zealand
New Zealand: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 5.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in New Zealand, 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 New Zealand stood at 5.6%. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.6% on the previous year and down 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in New Zealand peaked at 10.8% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 2023.
That places New Zealand 132nd 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 New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 10.8% | — |
| 1992 | 10.8% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 10.6% | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 10.4% | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 9.7% | -6.7% |
| 1996 | 9.4% | -2.7% |
| 1997 | 8.6% | -8.2% |
| 1998 | 8.5% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 9.4% | +10.3% |
| 2000 | 8.7% | -7.6% |
| 2001 | 9.1% | +4.9% |
| 2002 | 8.8% | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 8.2% | -7.2% |
| 2004 | 7.6% | -7.5% |
| 2005 | 7.2% | -5.4% |
| 2006 | 7.2% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 7.2% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 7.0% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 6.6% | -5.0% |
| 2010 | 6.9% | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 6.9% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 6.8% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 6.4% | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 6.1% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 6.6% | +7.8% |
| 2017 | 6.3% | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 5.9% | -6.7% |
| 2019 | 5.8% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 6.0% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 6.1% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 6.0% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 5.6% | -6.6% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 5.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.6%, 2.1× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 5.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 26.1%, 22% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.8% | 8.5% | 10.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 7.8% | 6.6% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.4% | 5.8% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.9% | 5.6% | 6.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More agriculture & rural data for New Zealand
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -10.07 % change on previous year (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0401 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,976 current US$ per person (2023)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.275 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.16 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.0% (2023)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in New Zealand?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in New Zealand was 5.6% 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 10.8% in 1992.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 2023.
- How does New Zealand rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- New Zealand ranks 132nd 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 New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.
Download this data
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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.