Share of working population in agriculture in select European countries 1930-1980

As Europe industrialized and urbanized throughout the 20^th century, the share of the working population employed in agriculture dropped significantly. Generally speaking, the wealthiest or most-industrialized nations had the lowest share of workers employed in agriculture in both 1930 and 1980. Additionally, in 1980, Czechoslovakia and East Germany were the only communist countries in Europe (of the seven listed here) with fewer than 15 percent of their workforce in employed in agriculture; whereas Greece, Ireland and Portugal were the only non-communist countries (of the 16 listed here) with employment levels above 15 percent.