Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Viet Nam
Viet Nam: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 33.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Viet Nam, 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 Viet Nam stood at 33.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 29.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Viet Nam peaked at 74.0% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 29.0%, in 2021.
That places Viet Nam 51st out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 Viet Nam, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 74.0% | — |
| 1992 | 73.2% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 72.5% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 71.7% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 70.9% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 70.0% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 65.3% | -6.7% |
| 1998 | 64.8% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 65.0% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 65.3% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 64.0% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 62.0% | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 59.7% | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 57.9% | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 54.9% | -5.2% |
| 2006 | 51.7% | -5.9% |
| 2007 | 49.3% | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 48.5% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 47.6% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 48.7% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 48.3% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 47.4% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 46.8% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 46.3% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 44.0% | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 41.9% | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 40.2% | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 37.7% | -6.1% |
| 2019 | 34.7% | -8.0% |
| 2020 | 32.6% | -6.0% |
| 2021 | 29.0% | -10.9% |
| 2022 | 33.5% | +15.2% |
| 2023 | 33.0% | -1.4% |
Viet Nam compared with similar countries
- Viet Nam's 33.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.1%, 1.9× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Viet Nam's 33.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 26.1%, 1.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 69.7% | 64.8% | 74.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 56.1% | 47.6% | 65.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.6% | 34.7% | 48.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.0% | 29.0% | 33.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Viet Nam
More agriculture & rural data for Viet Nam
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1164 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 589.88 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0489 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6117 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 11.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 11.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.5% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Viet Nam?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Viet Nam was 33.0% 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 Viet Nam?
- The highest recorded value was 74.0% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Viet Nam?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.0% in 2021.
- How does Viet Nam rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Viet Nam ranks 51st 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 Viet Nam?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Viet Nam 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.