Share of employment in agriculture in Australia
Australia: Share of employment in agriculture was 2.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture in Australia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026); Broadberry and Gardner (2013); International Labor Organization (via World Bank) (2013) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Australia recorded 2.2% for share of employment in agriculture in 2025.
That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and down 17.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture in Australia peaked at 5.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2023.
That places Australia 157th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Share of employment in agriculture in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5.9% | — |
| 1992 | 5.6% | -5.3% |
| 1993 | 5.7% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 5.5% | -4.2% |
| 1995 | 5.3% | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 5.4% | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 5.5% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 5.4% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 5.5% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 5.4% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 5.3% | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 4.9% | -7.8% |
| 2003 | 4.4% | -10.6% |
| 2004 | 4.2% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 4.0% | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 3.8% | -4.7% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 3.6% | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 3.5% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 3.5% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 3.1% | -12.6% |
| 2012 | 3.1% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 2.9% | -6.5% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 2.6% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 2.6% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 2.6% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 2.6% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 2.8% | +8.1% |
| 2021 | 2.5% | -9.7% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | -12.0% |
| 2023 | 2.1% | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 2.2% | +3.8% |
| 2025 | 2.2% | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.5% | 5.3% | 5.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 4.3% | 3.5% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 2.6% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 154 Saudi Arabia 2.5% compare
- 155 France 2.3% compare
- 156 Switzerland 2.2% compare
- 158 Slovakia 2.2% compare
- 159 Cyprus 2.2% compare
- 160 French Polynesia 1.9% 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 share of employment in agriculture in Australia?
- Share of employment in agriculture in Australia was 2.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026); Broadberry and Gardner (2013); International Labor Organization (via World Bank) (2013) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of employment in agriculture recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2023.
- How does Australia rank for share of employment in agriculture?
- Australia ranks 157th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of employment in agriculture rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.5%. 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); Broadberry and Gardner (2013); International Labor Organization (via World Bank) (2013) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of employment in agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of working people employed in agriculture, including hunting, forestry and fishing.