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FAO · Agriculture Orientation Index
Agriculture orientation index by country
Does government spend on agriculture in line with the sector's size?
Singapore placed first of the 132 countries compared in 2024, at 5.38, and Ghana last, at 0.03. In the middle country the figure was 0.31. Among the 100 countries measured in every edition since 2001, the middle one moved from 0.37 to 0.34.
Agriculture orientation index · 2024
Key statistic · Food & Agriculture
Highest of 132Singapore
5.38012024 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 132 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Khairul Nizam . · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
2Photo: Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3Photo: Dirk Heldmaier derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Lowest in 2024
- 132
Ghana0.03 - =128
Ukraine0.04 - =128
New Zealand0.04
Positions out of 132. Where a country sits says how it compares with the others measured, and nothing about why.
Highest on each continent
02Every measured country
Agriculture orientation index on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 0.03–0.13
- 0.14–0.26
- 0.27–0.39
- 0.40–0.72
- 0.74–5.38
- No reading in 2024 (56 measured in an earlier edition)
- Asia
0.42
the middle country, of 27 measured · 52 members
Singapore5.38
Tajikistan0.11Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Europe
0.40
the middle country, of 37 measured · 49 members
Luxembourg4.32Ukraine0.04Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Americas
0.29
the middle country, of 28 measured · 48 members
Saint Kitts and Nevis2.16
Ecuador0.06Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Oceania
0.23
the middle country, of 7 measured · 21 members
Nauru0.51New Zealand0.04Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Africa
0.17
the middle country, of 33 measured · 55 members
Zambia2.21Ghana0.03Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Caribbean
1.04
the middle country, of 10 measured · 24 members
Saint Kitts and Nevis2.16
Jamaica0.21Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Northern Europe
0.48
the middle country, of 10 measured · 13 members
Ireland1.04
Sweden0.20Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- South-eastern Asia
0.46
the middle country, of 6 measured · 11 members
Singapore5.38
Indonesia0.21Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Africa
0.43
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Botswana2.16
Namibia0.28Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Western Asia
0.43
the middle country, of 9 measured · 19 members
Cyprus1.25
Saudi Arabia0.19Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Western Europe
0.41
the middle country, of 6 measured · 9 members
Luxembourg4.32
Belgium0.17Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Eastern Europe
0.39
the middle country, of 9 measured · 10 members
2 share 1.35
Ukraine0.04Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Southern Asia
0.39
the middle country, of 5 measured · 9 members
Bangladesh0.78
Pakistan0.13Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Southern Europe
0.35
the middle country, of 12 measured · 17 members
Malta2.29
Albania0.13Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Central America
0.22
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
Panama0.88
Belize0.12Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Central Asia
0.18
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Turkmenistan0.75Tajikistan0.11Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Western Africa
0.15
the middle country, of 10 measured · 16 members
Senegal0.45Ghana0.03Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- South America
0.13
the middle country, of 9 measured · 12 members
Peru0.34Ecuador0.06Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Eastern Africa
0.12
the middle country, of 11 measured · 19 members
Zambia2.21
Mozambique0.04Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
Australia0.33New Zealand0.04Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Eastern Asia
2 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: China, Mongolia.
China0.95
Mongolia0.30Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Melanesia
2 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
Vanuatu0.23
Solomon Islands0.06Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
1 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Nauru.
Nauru0.51Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Middle Africa
4 of 9 measured — too few for a middle: Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, DR Congo.
Central African Republic0.27
Angola0.04Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Northern Africa
3 of 6 measured — too few for a middle: Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia.
Tunisia0.40
Egypt0.17Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
Canada0.66
United States0.37Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Polynesia
2 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Samoa, Tonga.
Samoa0.24
Tonga0.17Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
03The whole field at once
The spread
132 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 0.31; a quarter are above 0.55, and a quarter below 0.17. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 188 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. Because it is a ratio of two shares, it rises when agriculture shrinks as well as when spending grows — a country whose farm sector is contracting can climb this table without changing its budget at all. The two components are in the table beside it for exactly that reason.
Showing 25 of 188 countries
Values for 2024. The change column compares 2024 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
052001–2024 · 24 reference years
Over time
Each point is one year from 2001. It moves with public spending decisions and with the size of the farm sector, so a change can come from either.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 100 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 132 | 0.31 | 0.17 – 0.55 | 0.34 |
| 2023 | 166 | 0.31 | 0.15 – 0.53 | 0.33 |
| 2022 | 173 | 0.29 | 0.14 – 0.56 | 0.32 |
| 2021 | 175 | 0.26 | 0.12 – 0.52 | 0.28 |
| 2020 | 178 | 0.26 | 0.13 – 0.46 | 0.30 |
| 2019 | 182 | 0.27 | 0.14 – 0.52 | 0.30 |
| 2018 | 183 | 0.27 | 0.15 – 0.59 | 0.29 |
| 2017 | 181 | 0.26 | 0.14 – 0.54 | 0.30 |
| 2016 | 178 | 0.29 | 0.15 – 0.55 | 0.33 |
| 2015 | 176 | 0.31 | 0.15 – 0.59 | 0.34 |
| 2014 | 175 | 0.30 | 0.15 – 0.59 | 0.36 |
| 2013 | 172 | 0.29 | 0.15 – 0.54 | 0.36 |
| 2012 | 172 | 0.33 | 0.16 – 0.57 | 0.38 |
| 2011 | 167 | 0.29 | 0.14 – 0.57 | 0.40 |
| 2010 | 164 | 0.32 | 0.16 – 0.61 | 0.41 |
| 2009 | 159 | 0.37 | 0.18 – 0.65 | 0.45 |
| 2008 | 155 | 0.39 | 0.16 – 0.67 | 0.46 |
| 2007 | 153 | 0.41 | 0.18 – 0.67 | 0.46 |
| 2006 | 152 | 0.36 | 0.17 – 0.68 | 0.45 |
| 2005 | 150 | 0.33 | 0.18 – 0.66 | 0.38 |
| 2004 | 148 | 0.32 | 0.17 – 0.65 | 0.39 |
| 2003 | 142 | 0.32 | 0.16 – 0.68 | 0.36 |
| 2002 | 136 | 0.34 | 0.17 – 0.63 | 0.37 |
| 2001 | 132 | 0.36 | 0.18 – 0.67 | 0.37 |
062023 → 2024
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → after- Luxembourg3.35 → 4.32 · 4th → 2nd+0.97
- Saint Kitts and Nevis1.59 → 2.16 · 12th → 5th+0.57
- Turkmenistan0.31 → 0.75 · 82nd → 24th+0.44
Bulgaria0.95 → 1.35 · 23rd → 9th+0.40
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines0.43 → 0.80 · 53rd → 21st+0.37
Declined most
before → after- Malta25.32 → 2.29 · 1st → 3rd−23.03
Bahamas2.40 → 1.99 · 6th → 7th−0.41- Singapore5.74 → 5.38 · 2nd → 1st−0.36
Seychelles0.85 → 0.59 · 26th → 32nd−0.26
Tanzania0.32 → 0.10 · 79th → 117th−0.22
132 countries were measured in both 2023 and 2024. The field changed from 166 to 132 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Agriculture orientation index in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
25.32
Agriculture orientation index (1.0 = spending matches sector size)
Lowest reading on record
Reached 4 times by 2 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0.00
Agriculture orientation index (1.0 = spending matches sector size)
Biggest improvement between editions
+24.04
1.28 → 25.32
Biggest decline between editions
−23.03
25.32 → 2.29
Most improved since first measured
+3.37
2.01 → 5.38
At the top most often
19 of 24
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About agriculture orientation index
This compares how much of its budget a government spends on agriculture with how big agriculture actually is in its economy. A value of 1.0 means the two match; below 1.0 means farming gets less public money than its share of the economy would suggest.
What the number is: Agriculture orientation index (1.0 = spending matches sector size).
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
A key statistic for Food & Agriculture
“How much public spending agriculture attracts set against the share of the economy it produces — whether a state invests in its farms or lives off them.”
- Edition used
- 2024 (data 2024)
- Countries
- 132
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
Moves with
Where agriculture orientation index is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- CO₂ Emissions per CapitaKeyGlobal Carbon Project · 132 countries in commonρ 0.58
- Ecological FootprintKeyGlobal Footprint Network · 92 countries in commonρ 0.57
- Primary Energy Consumption per CapitaEIA · 129 countries in commonρ 0.57
Moves against
Where agriculture orientation index is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added (% of GDP)World Bank Group · 116 countries in commonρ −0.66
- INFORM Risk IndexKeyEuropean Commission Joint Research Centre, with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee · 132 countries in commonρ −0.56
- Self-Employment RateILO · 126 countries in commonρ −0.54
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 170 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
The countries at either end
11Questions
Agriculture orientation index: questions and answers
Which country has the highest agriculture orientation index?
Singapore, at 5.38, among the 132 countries compared in 2024.
Which country has the lowest agriculture orientation index?
Ghana, at 0.03, among the 132 countries compared in 2024.
How many countries does the Agriculture Orientation Index cover?
132 in 2024, and 188 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 132 to 183 between editions.
What is the world average agriculture orientation index?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 132 compared in 2024, the figure was 0.31.
Is this Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)’s own ranking?
No. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Agriculture Orientation Index published?
This site holds 24 reference years, 2001–2024, all recalculated in Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)’s 2026 report on one method — not 24 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), under CC BY 4.0. SDG indicator 2.a.1, from FAOSTAT's SDG Indicators domain. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Agriculture Orientation Index — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
SDG indicator 2.a.1, from FAOSTAT's SDG Indicators domain.
Newest edition
Report year 2024Data year 2024
Cite the source as: FAO. FAOSTAT. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-09-11.
How this page reads the numbers
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Singapore — Khairul Nizam ., CC BY 2.0
- Luxembourg — Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Malta — Dirk Heldmaier derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Agriculture orientation index by country: Agriculture Orientation Index, data from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/agriculture-orientation