Off the Land
Agriculture value added as a share of GDP, six major economies, 2000 to today
- Unit
- % of GDP
- Frequency
- Annual
- Coverage
- 2000–2025
- Evidence Quality
- High
Agriculture as a share of GDP — India still the most agrarian, China's steep fall, and the advanced world near zero.
World Bank WDI · Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP) · NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS
Line chart, 2000 to 2025. Agriculture value added (% of GDP). 6 series: United States, China, India, Germany, Japan and Brazil. India is highlighted; its latest reading is 16.2% in 2025.
Question
How far has each economy moved off the land — and who still depends on farming?
Evidence
Agriculture's share of GDP is the clearest marker of how far an economy has developed: it starts high and falls toward near-zero as industry and services grow. India remains the most agrarian of the six, though its share fell from roughly 22% to 16%. China more than halved its share, from ~15% to under 7%. The advanced economies are already there — the US, Germany, and Japan all sit near 1%. Brazil is the exception that rose, its agribusiness boom lifting the share.
Observation
Read level, slope and timing together.
A tiny GDP share can still mean a large share of jobs: agriculture employs far more people than its output share suggests, especially in India.
Assessment
- India is still the most farm-dependent by output, near 16% — and far more by employment.
- China's halving of its agricultural share is the clearest sign of its industrial-and-service transformation.
- Brazil bucks the trend, its share edging up on a commodities and agribusiness boom.
Advantage
- What replaced farming?The Service Economy
- How much industry is there?The World's Factory
- How urban is the population?Into the Cities