Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 26.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka stood at 26.3%.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Sri Lanka peaked at 43.6% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 25.3%, in 2019.
Sri Lanka ranks 71st of 186 countries on this measure, 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 41.4% | — |
| 1992 | 43.6% | +5.4% |
| 1993 | 38.7% | -11.4% |
| 1994 | 42.6% | +10.1% |
| 1995 | 37.3% | -12.3% |
| 1996 | 35.1% | -5.9% |
| 1997 | 37.4% | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 41.6% | +11.3% |
| 1999 | 39.8% | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 38.0% | -4.6% |
| 2001 | 36.3% | -4.6% |
| 2002 | 34.5% | -4.9% |
| 2003 | 34.0% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 34.9% | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 32.9% | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 33.1% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 32.5% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 33.5% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 33.5% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 30.9% | -7.6% |
| 2011 | 30.8% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 31.0% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 29.6% | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 28.1% | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 28.7% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 27.1% | -5.4% |
| 2017 | 26.1% | -3.8% |
| 2018 | 25.5% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 25.3% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 27.1% | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 27.3% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 26.5% | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 26.3% | -0.9% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 26.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.1%, 1.5× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 26.3% is below the median for South Asia, which is 39.4%, 67% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 39.7% | 35.1% | 43.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 34.3% | 32.5% | 38.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.3% | 25.3% | 31.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.8% | 26.3% | 27.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0836 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 418.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9172 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7955 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Sri Lanka?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Sri Lanka was 26.3% 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 43.6% in 1992.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.3% in 2019.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Sri Lanka ranks 71st 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 Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.