Number of people employed in agriculture in Australia
Australia: Number of people employed in agriculture was 308,277 people in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
308,277 people
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
108th
of 186 countries
All-time high
486,558 people
in 2000
All-time low
300,863 people
in 2023
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Number of people employed in agriculture in Australia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Australia recorded 308,277 people for number of people employed in agriculture in 2025.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people employed in agriculture in Australia peaked at 486,558 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 300,863 people, in 2023.
That places Australia 108th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Number of people employed in agriculture in Australia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 460,894 people | — |
| 1992 | 434,224 people | -5.8% |
| 1993 | 440,790 people | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 436,038 people | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 440,319 people | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 452,187 people | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 462,094 people | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 464,713 people | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 481,323 people | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 486,558 people | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 482,004 people | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 453,296 people | -6.0% |
| 2003 | 414,235 people | -8.6% |
| 2004 | 402,784 people | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 398,895 people | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 389,778 people | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 391,028 people | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 390,120 people | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 384,177 people | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 392,135 people | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 349,051 people | -11.0% |
| 2012 | 350,885 people | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 331,033 people | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 325,718 people | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 312,981 people | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 316,591 people | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 320,912 people | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 332,554 people | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 332,353 people | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 352,917 people | +6.2% |
| 2021 | 332,276 people | -5.8% |
| 2022 | 303,070 people | -8.8% |
| 2023 | 300,863 people | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 313,653 people | +4.3% |
| 2025 | 308,277 people | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 452,509 people | 434,224 people | 481,323 people | 9 |
| 2000s | 419,288 people | 384,177 people | 486,558 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 336,421 people | 312,981 people | 392,135 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 318,509 people | 300,863 people | 352,917 people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 105 Mauritania 359,675 people compare
- 106 Panama 336,207 people compare
- 107 Armenia 333,787 people compare
- 109 Timor-Leste 287,785 people compare
- 110 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 287,295 people compare
- 111 Costa Rica 259,730 people compare
More agriculture & rural data for Australia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0227 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,476 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.5855 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1228 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.3% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people employed in agriculture in Australia?
- Number of people employed in agriculture in Australia was 308,277 people in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people employed in agriculture recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 486,558 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest number of people employed in agriculture recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 300,863 people in 2023.
- How does Australia rank for number of people employed in agriculture?
- Australia ranks 108th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people employed in agriculture rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people employed in agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people working in agriculture, including hunting, forestry and fishing.