Japan Agriculture Employment
Employment in agriculture SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
Japan's agriculture employment was 2.81% in 2025, ranked 39th globally. This represents a 2.4% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Japan's agriculture employment stood at 2.81% in 2025, a decline of +0.07% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 2.72% by 2026. Japan ranked 39th globally.
Japan’s share of the workforce employed in agriculture has fallen dramatically over the past 35 years, dropping from an all‑time peak of 7.19 percent in 1991 to a trough of 2.81 percent in 2025, placing the country 39th globally according to the World Bank. The steep decline reflects long‑standing structural shifts, including urbanisation, ageing rural populations and the consolidation of farms into larger, more mechanised units. By contrast, peer economies such as Portugal (2.78 percent) and Estonia (2.96 percent) exhibit similarly low but slightly higher agricultural employment shares, underscoring a broader pattern among advanced and transitioning economies where non‑farm sectors dominate. Technological adoption, policy incentives for agribusiness and continued demographic pressures are likely to keep the agricultural labour share low, although targeted rural revitalisation programmes or a resurgence in demand for domestic food production could modestly stabilise or reverse the downward trajectory.
Data & projection
| Year | Agriculture Employment | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 2.53% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 2.63% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 2.72% | - | - |
| 2025 | 2.81% | −0.07% | #39 |
| 2024 | 2.88% | −0.12% | #39 |
| 2023 | 3.01% | −0.09% | #37 |
| 2022 | 3.10% | −0.07% | #38 |
| 2021 | 3.17% | −0.09% | #38 |
| 2020 | 3.26% | −0.12% | #38 |
| 2019 | 3.38% | −0.14% | #39 |
| 2018 | 3.51% | −0.08% | #40 |
| 2017 | 3.60% | −0.06% | #38 |
| 2016 | 3.66% | −0.12% | #38 |
| 2015 | 3.78% | −0.03% | #36 |
| 2014 | 3.81% | −0.07% | #36 |
| 2013 | 3.89% | −0.17% | #38 |
| 2012 | 4.06% | −0.10% | #38 |
| 2011 | 4.16% | −0.27% | #40 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Japan matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2004. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw agriculture employment improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Japan's agriculture employment was 2.81% in 2025. Ranked 39th globally. This represents a 2.4% decrease from the previous year.
Japan's agriculture employment peaked at 7.19% in 1991.
The lowest agriculture employment in Japan was 2.81% in 2025.
Japan ranks 39th globally in agriculture employment as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Japan's agriculture employment is projected to reach 2.72% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The agriculture employment of Japan in 2025 was 2.81%. This ranks 39th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_japan_agriculture-employment,
title = {Japan Agriculture Employment},
url = {https://historysaid.com/japan/agriculture-employment/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}