Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Rwanda
Rwanda: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 54.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Rwanda, 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 Rwanda stood at 54.8%.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 24.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Rwanda peaked at 90.3% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 47.3%, in 2019.
Rwanda ranks 21st of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 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 Rwanda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 89.7% | — |
| 1992 | 89.6% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 89.9% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 90.1% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 90.2% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 90.3% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 90.2% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 89.9% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 89.7% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 89.2% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 88.6% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 87.7% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 87.3% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 86.4% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 85.4% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 84.3% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 83.2% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 81.8% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 80.7% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 79.5% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 78.1% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 76.6% | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 72.9% | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 68.5% | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 63.6% | -7.1% |
| 2016 | 58.6% | -7.9% |
| 2017 | 53.1% | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 50.1% | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 47.3% | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 50.1% | +6.1% |
| 2021 | 56.2% | +12.2% |
| 2022 | 55.3% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 54.8% | -0.9% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 54.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 55.1%, 100% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 54.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.0%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 90.0% | 89.6% | 90.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 85.5% | 80.7% | 89.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.8% | 47.3% | 79.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.1% | 50.1% | 56.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
- 18 Equatorial Guinea 55.9% compare
- 19 Zambia 55.4% compare
- 20 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 55.1% compare
- 22 Zimbabwe 52.5% compare
- 23 Armenia 52.3% compare
- 24 Republic of Moldova 51.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Rwanda
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 5.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.203 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 228.16 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6953 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6909 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 20.3% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 20.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.9% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Rwanda?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Rwanda was 54.8% 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 90.3% in 1996.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.3% in 2019.
- How does Rwanda rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Rwanda ranks 21st 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 Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.