Share of employment in agriculture in Japan
Japan: Share of employment in agriculture was 2.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture in Japan, 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
Japan recorded 2.8% for share of employment in agriculture in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture in Japan peaked at 7.2% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 2025.
That places Japan 149th 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 Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 7.2% | — |
| 1992 | 6.9% | -4.5% |
| 1993 | 6.4% | -7.0% |
| 1994 | 6.2% | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 6.1% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 5.9% | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 5.7% | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 5.7% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 5.6% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 5.5% | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 5.2% | -4.1% |
| 2002 | 5.0% | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 5.0% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 4.9% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 4.8% | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 4.6% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 4.6% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 4.6% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 4.4% | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 4.2% | -6.1% |
| 2012 | 4.1% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 3.9% | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 3.8% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 3.6% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 3.4% | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 3.3% | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 3.2% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 3.1% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 3.0% | -2.9% |
| 2024 | 2.9% | -4.1% |
| 2025 | 2.8% | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.2% | 5.6% | 7.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 3.4% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.0% | 2.8% | 3.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More agriculture & rural data for Japan
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.95 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0096 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 323.87 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.0% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.0% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture in Japan?
- Share of employment in agriculture in Japan was 2.8% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 7.2% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 2025.
- How does Japan rank for share of employment in agriculture?
- Japan ranks 149th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of employment in agriculture rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan 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.