Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Suriname
Suriname: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 7.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Suriname, 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 Suriname stood at 7.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Suriname peaked at 8.7% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 4.1%, in 1991.
Suriname ranks 124th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Suriname, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4.1% | — |
| 1992 | 4.4% | +7.1% |
| 1993 | 4.6% | +4.5% |
| 1994 | 6.3% | +36.8% |
| 1995 | 7.3% | +15.2% |
| 1996 | 6.1% | -15.6% |
| 1997 | 5.4% | -11.4% |
| 1998 | 5.8% | +6.4% |
| 1999 | 7.2% | +24.0% |
| 2000 | 6.8% | -5.3% |
| 2001 | 7.3% | +6.5% |
| 2002 | 7.8% | +7.2% |
| 2003 | 8.1% | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 8.4% | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 8.3% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 8.7% | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 8.5% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 8.3% | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 7.9% | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 7.6% | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 7.3% | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 7.1% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 6.8% | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 6.9% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 7.2% | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 7.7% | +6.0% |
| 2017 | 7.7% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 7.6% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 7.7% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 7.7% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 7.7% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 7.4% | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 7.4% | -1.0% |
Suriname compared with similar countries
- Suriname's 7.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.1%, 43% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Suriname's 7.4% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.0%, 62% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.7% | 4.1% | 7.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 8.0% | 6.8% | 8.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.4% | 6.8% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.6% | 7.4% | 7.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Suriname
More agriculture & rural data for Suriname
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 20.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0677 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 471.32 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.7818 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3421 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.8% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 6.0% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Suriname?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Suriname was 7.4% 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 Suriname?
- The highest recorded value was 8.7% in 2006.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Suriname?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.1% in 1991.
- How does Suriname rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Suriname ranks 124th 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 Suriname?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Suriname 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.