Problem
Close to half of India's workers still depend on agriculture
- National
- Rural
The Periodic Labour Force Survey recorded 45.8 per cent of workers (usual status) in agriculture and allied activities in 2022-23, after 46.5 per cent in 2020-21 and 45.5 per cent in 2021-22. In NSO's 2019 survey, about 58.3 per cent of rural households reported agricultural activities as their main source of income. Agriculture's share of work is far larger than its share of output: the RBI working group recorded agriculture and allied activities at 16.14 per cent of gross value added at current prices in 2018-19. Evidence confidence: High.
This is the most specific entry on this branch of the catalogue. The evidence behind it is below.
Who is responsible
- Ministry of Labour and Employment · Ministry or Department
- Ministry of Rural Development · Ministry or Department
- Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation · Ministry or DepartmentConducts the Periodic Labour Force Survey.
Evidence and sources
- Farm Mechanization and Agricultural Workforce — reply in Lok Sabha · Official statementMinistry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, 22 July 2025. ICAR 2020-21 operation-wise mechanisation levels; PLFS share of workers in agriculture, 2020-21 to 2022-23.
- Livelihood of Farmers — reply in Lok Sabha · Official statementMinistry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, 14 March 2023. About 58.3% of rural households report agriculture as their main income source (NSS 77th round); small and marginal holders about 86% of operational holders (Agriculture Census 2015-16).
- Report of the Internal Working Group to Review Agricultural Credit · Government documentReserve Bank of India, 13 September 2019 (Chair: M. K. Jain). Uses NAFIS 2016-17 and Agriculture Census 2015-16. Covers non-institutional credit, tenant farmers, regional disparity, crop vs allied credit, Kisan Credit Card coverage, loan waivers and computerisation of land records by state.
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