El Salvador Agriculture Employment
Employment in agriculture SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
El Salvador's agriculture employment was 13.85% in 2025, ranked 88th globally. This represents a 1.6% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
El Salvador's agriculture employment stood at 13.85% in 2025, a decline of +0.22% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 13.52% by 2026. El Salvador ranked 88th globally.
El Salvador’s share of the labour force employed in agriculture fell from 35.62 percent in 1991, the highest level recorded over the 35‑year series, to 13.85 percent in 2025, placing the country 88th globally. This long‑term decline reflects structural shifts toward services and manufacturing, as well as the mechanisation of farms and the migration of workers to urban centres and abroad. The 2025 figure is closely aligned with the agricultural employment rates of peer economies such as Iran (13.62 percent) and Jamaica (13.94 percent), underscoring a regional convergence toward lower agrarian dependence. While the trough reached in 2025 marks the lowest point since the series began, the trend suggests that any reversal would require substantial policy interventions, such as investment in high‑value crops, rural credit schemes, or incentives to retain youth in farming. Absent such measures, the share of workers in agriculture is likely to continue its gradual decline.
Data & projection
| Year | Agriculture Employment | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 12.93% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 13.22% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 13.52% | - | - |
| 2025 | 13.85% | −0.22% | #88 |
| 2024 | 14.07% | −0.16% | #88 |
| 2023 | 14.23% | −0.74% | #89 |
| 2022 | 14.97% | +0.10% | #94 |
| 2021 | 14.87% | −0.92% | #89 |
| 2020 | 15.80% | −0.50% | #91 |
| 2019 | 16.29% | −0.41% | #96 |
| 2018 | 16.71% | −1.87% | #97 |
| 2017 | 18.57% | −0.10% | #99 |
| 2016 | 18.68% | +0.57% | #99 |
| 2015 | 18.11% | −0.65% | #98 |
| 2014 | 18.76% | −0.82% | #98 |
| 2013 | 19.59% | −1.38% | #98 |
| 2012 | 20.97% | −0.62% | #98 |
| 2011 | 21.59% | +0.82% | #99 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
El Salvador matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 1989. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw agriculture employment improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
El Salvador's agriculture employment was 13.85% in 2025. Ranked 88th globally. This represents a 1.6% decrease from the previous year.
El Salvador's agriculture employment peaked at 35.62% in 1991.
The lowest agriculture employment in El Salvador was 13.85% in 2025.
El Salvador ranks 88th globally in agriculture employment as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
El Salvador's agriculture employment is projected to reach 13.52% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The agriculture employment of El Salvador in 2025 was 13.85%. This ranks 88th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_el-salvador_agriculture-employment,
title = {El Salvador Agriculture Employment},
url = {https://historysaid.com/el-salvador/agriculture-employment/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}