Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 27.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Nicaragua, 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 Nicaragua is 27.7%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Nicaragua peaked at 35.0% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 27.7%, in 2023.
That places Nicaragua 68th 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 Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 35.0% | — |
| 1992 | 34.7% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 34.2% | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 34.1% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 34.0% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 34.1% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 33.8% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 33.5% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 33.5% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 33.2% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 32.5% | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 31.5% | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 30.5% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 30.3% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 28.9% | -4.7% |
| 2006 | 29.2% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 29.6% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 28.2% | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 28.7% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 29.6% | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 30.7% | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 31.7% | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 31.5% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 31.4% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 31.2% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 30.9% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 30.5% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 29.5% | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 28.6% | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 28.7% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 28.5% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 27.9% | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 27.7% | -0.8% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 27.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 34.4%, 81% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 27.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.0%, 2.3× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 34.1% | 33.5% | 35.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 30.3% | 28.2% | 33.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.6% | 28.6% | 31.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.2% | 27.7% | 28.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
More agriculture & rural data for Nicaragua
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 12.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1448 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 459.4 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.8714 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4056 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 14.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 14.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Nicaragua?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Nicaragua was 27.7% 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 Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 35.0% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.7% in 2023.
- How does Nicaragua rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Nicaragua ranks 68th 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 Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nicaragua 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.