Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Niger
Niger: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 70.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Niger, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Niger recorded 70.6% 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.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Niger peaked at 79.8% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 70.6%, in 2023.
That places Niger 2nd out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 Niger, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 79.7% | — |
| 1992 | 79.7% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 79.7% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 79.7% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 79.7% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 79.8% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 79.8% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 79.4% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 79.5% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 79.7% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 79.3% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 79.1% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 79.0% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 79.1% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 78.7% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 78.4% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 78.2% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 77.8% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 77.7% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 77.1% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 77.1% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 74.5% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 74.1% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 73.5% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 73.2% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 72.7% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 72.3% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 71.6% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 71.0% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 71.1% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 71.1% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 70.7% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 70.6% | -0.1% |
Niger compared with similar countries
- Niger's 70.6% is above the median for low income countries, which is 55.1%, 1.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Niger's 70.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.0%, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 79.7% | 79.4% | 79.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 78.7% | 77.7% | 79.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.7% | 71.0% | 77.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.9% | 70.6% | 71.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Niger
- 1 Burundi 85.1% compare
- 3 Central African Republic 70.5% compare
- 4 Lao People's Democratic Republic 69.6% compare
- 5 Mozambique 69.5% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Niger
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.4759 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 368.98 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0011 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.8163 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 47.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 47.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Niger?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Niger was 70.6% 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 Niger?
- The highest recorded value was 79.8% in 1997.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Niger?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.6% in 2023.
- How does Niger rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Niger ranks 2nd 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 Niger?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Niger 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.