China (People’s Republic of) vs World: Agricultural land

China (People’s Republic of)
5.20 million sq. km
in 2023
World
47.92 million sq. km
in 2023
China (People’s Republic of) rank
1st
World rank
1st

Agricultural land over time

  • China (People’s Republic of)
  • World
010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M50.0M196119922023

How they compare

World currently reports 47.92 million sq. km against 5.20 million sq. km in China (People’s Republic of), a difference of 42.72 million sq. km.

That makes World's figure about 9.2 times China (People’s Republic of)'s.

Across all 63 years both countries report, World has been ahead every year.

China (People’s Republic of) ranks 1st and World ranks 1st of 209 countries.

World has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China (People’s Republic of) World Difference Ahead
1960s 3.55 million sq. km 43.39 million sq. km 39.84 million sq. km World
1970s 3.98 million sq. km 44.36 million sq. km 40.38 million sq. km World
1980s 4.66 million sq. km 45.53 million sq. km 40.87 million sq. km World
1990s 5.19 million sq. km 46.80 million sq. km 41.61 million sq. km World
2000s 5.26 million sq. km 46.86 million sq. km 41.60 million sq. km World
2010s 5.24 million sq. km 47.71 million sq. km 42.47 million sq. km World
2020s 5.20 million sq. km 48.00 million sq. km 42.80 million sq. km World

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher agricultural land, China (People’s Republic of) or World?
World, at 47.92 million sq. km against 5.20 million sq. km in China (People’s Republic of) as of 2023.
What is the difference in agricultural land between China (People’s Republic of) and World?
42.72 million sq. km, with World ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China (People’s Republic of) and World?
63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
How do China (People’s Republic of) and World rank globally for agricultural land?
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 1st and World ranks 1st of 209 countries.
Where does this data come from?
FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Agricultural land (sq. km). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China (People’s Republic of) vs World: Agricultural land. Statizoid, drawing on FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/compare/agricultural-land-sq-km/china/world/

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About this data

Indicator
Agricultural land (sq. km)
Unit
sq. km
Source
FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
257 places, 15,984 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Agricultural land refers to the land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops.