Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Panama
Panama: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 14.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Panama, 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 Panama stood at 14.7%.
That represents a change of down 3.8% on the previous year and down 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Panama peaked at 27.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 14.1%, in 2020.
That places Panama 94th 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 Panama, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 27.3% | — |
| 1992 | 25.0% | -8.5% |
| 1993 | 23.1% | -7.6% |
| 1994 | 19.9% | -13.8% |
| 1995 | 20.8% | +4.5% |
| 1996 | 20.2% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 18.6% | -7.4% |
| 1998 | 17.8% | -4.8% |
| 1999 | 17.4% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 17.0% | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 18.1% | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 17.4% | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 17.5% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 16.0% | -8.4% |
| 2005 | 15.7% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 15.9% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 14.7% | -7.6% |
| 2008 | 17.9% | +21.5% |
| 2009 | 18.0% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 17.4% | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 16.5% | -5.0% |
| 2012 | 16.7% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 16.4% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 15.7% | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 14.7% | -6.6% |
| 2016 | 15.4% | +4.7% |
| 2017 | 14.5% | -5.6% |
| 2018 | 14.2% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 14.4% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 14.1% | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 15.7% | +11.4% |
| 2022 | 15.3% | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 14.7% | -3.8% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 14.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.6%, 5.6× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Panama's 14.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.0%, 1.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.1% | 17.4% | 27.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 16.8% | 14.7% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.6% | 14.2% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.9% | 14.1% | 15.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More agriculture & rural data for Panama
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0262 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 518.14 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.7724 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3385 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 4.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Panama?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Panama was 14.7% 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 Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 27.3% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.1% in 2020.
- How does Panama rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Panama ranks 94th 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 Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Panama 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.