Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Portugal
Portugal: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 2.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Portugal, 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 Portugal stood at 2.9%.
That represents a change of up 5.4% on the previous year and down 71.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Portugal peaked at 13.9% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 2021.
That places Portugal 148th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
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 Portugal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 12.0% | — |
| 1992 | 11.7% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 11.6% | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 11.7% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 11.5% | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 12.2% | +6.3% |
| 1997 | 13.3% | +8.9% |
| 1998 | 13.9% | +4.8% |
| 1999 | 12.8% | -8.2% |
| 2000 | 12.7% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 13.2% | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 12.6% | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 13.0% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 12.3% | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 12.0% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 11.9% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 11.8% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 11.4% | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 11.4% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 11.2% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 10.2% | -9.1% |
| 2012 | 10.8% | +5.9% |
| 2013 | 10.2% | -5.4% |
| 2014 | 8.6% | -15.4% |
| 2015 | 7.5% | -13.0% |
| 2016 | 6.9% | -8.2% |
| 2017 | 6.4% | -7.5% |
| 2018 | 6.0% | -5.4% |
| 2019 | 5.5% | -9.1% |
| 2020 | 5.4% | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 2.7% | -49.4% |
| 2022 | 2.8% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 2.9% | +5.4% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 2.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.6%, 1.1× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 2.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.9%, 61% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Portugal changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | -49.4% | 5.4% | 2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.3% | 11.5% | 13.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 12.2% | 11.4% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.3% | 5.5% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.5% | 2.7% | 5.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More agriculture & rural data for Portugal
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0196 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 628.85 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.5936 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.385 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Portugal?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Portugal was 2.9% 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 13.9% in 1998.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 2021.
- How does Portugal rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Portugal ranks 148th 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 Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 71.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Portugal 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.