Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Spain
Spain: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 3.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Spain, 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 Spain is 3.6%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is down 4.7% on the previous year and down 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Spain peaked at 10.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 3.6%, in 2023.
That places Spain 141st 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 Spain, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 10.7% | — |
| 1992 | 9.7% | -8.9% |
| 1993 | 9.8% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 9.5% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 9.0% | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 8.4% | -7.0% |
| 1997 | 8.0% | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 7.7% | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 7.2% | -6.4% |
| 2000 | 6.7% | -7.2% |
| 2001 | 6.6% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 6.0% | -8.4% |
| 2003 | 5.7% | -5.0% |
| 2004 | 5.5% | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 5.3% | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 4.8% | -9.3% |
| 2007 | 4.5% | -6.0% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | -10.4% |
| 2009 | 4.1% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 4.1% | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 4.2% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 4.3% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 4.2% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 4.1% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 4.2% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 4.0% | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 4.0% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 4.1% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -6.4% |
| 2023 | 3.6% | -4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.9% | 7.2% | 10.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.3% | 4.0% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 4.0% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.6% | 4.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More agriculture & rural data for Spain
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0268 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,036 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0113 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1949 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (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 Spain?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Spain was 3.6% 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.6% in 2023.
- How does Spain rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Spain ranks 141st 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 Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Spain 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.