Share of agriculture in total employment in Ghana
Ghana: Share of agriculture in total employment was 38.9% in 2011. ▼ Falling
Share of agriculture in total employment in Ghana, 1960–2011
Source: Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2011, share of agriculture in total employment in Ghana stood at 38.9%. That is the lowest value across all 52 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.5% on the previous year and down 26.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of agriculture in total employment in Ghana peaked at 62.8% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 38.9%, in 2011.
That places Ghana 9th out of 44 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Share of agriculture in total employment in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 60.7% | — |
| 1961 | 60.3% | -0.7% |
| 1962 | 60.5% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 59.1% | -2.3% |
| 1964 | 60.9% | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 61.0% | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 61.5% | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 60.0% | -2.4% |
| 1968 | 60.0% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 58.0% | -3.3% |
| 1970 | 57.0% | -1.7% |
| 1971 | 56.0% | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 57.2% | +2.1% |
| 1973 | 54.6% | -4.5% |
| 1974 | 53.8% | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 53.9% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 55.3% | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 53.3% | -3.6% |
| 1978 | 53.3% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 56.0% | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 56.5% | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 58.1% | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 61.4% | +5.7% |
| 1983 | 62.8% | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 61.1% | -2.7% |
| 1985 | 58.7% | -3.9% |
| 1986 | 57.6% | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 55.7% | -3.3% |
| 1988 | 54.6% | -2.0% |
| 1989 | 53.7% | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 53.5% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 55.4% | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 55.3% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 55.5% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 55.6% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 55.6% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 55.4% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 54.7% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 54.4% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 54.1% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 53.6% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 52.8% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 51.8% | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 50.8% | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 49.7% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 48.1% | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 46.7% | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 45.8% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 43.9% | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 43.3% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 41.6% | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 38.9% | -6.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 60.2% | 58.0% | 61.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 55.0% | 53.3% | 57.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 58.0% | 53.7% | 62.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.0% | 53.5% | 55.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.6% | 43.3% | 53.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.2% | 38.9% | 41.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More agriculture & rural data for Ghana
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 41.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2128 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 692.99 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4821 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4108 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 21.3% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 21.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of agriculture in total employment in Ghana?
- Share of agriculture in total employment in Ghana was 38.9% in 2011, according to Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of agriculture in total employment recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 62.8% in 1983.
- What is the lowest share of agriculture in total employment recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.9% in 2011.
- How does Ghana rank for share of agriculture in total employment?
- Ghana ranks 9th out of 44 countries with data for 2011.
- Is share of agriculture in total employment rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of agriculture in total employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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