Island LDCs have traditionally had a higher level of labour productivity (largely explained by their small population size), but the level has declined gradually over the past 35 years (chart 2.4A). After stagnating in the 1980s, agricultural labour productivity growth picked up as early as the following decade. Since 2000 it has risen at a strong pace (3.5 per cent annually), which is higher than in all ODCs and Asian ODCs (in both country groups it has grown at approximately 3 per cent per year since 2000).