Malawi vs Zambia: Arable and permanent cropland

Malawi
3.73 million hectares
in 2011
Zambia
3.44 million hectares
in 2011
Malawi rank
24th
Zambia rank
27th

Arable and permanent cropland over time

  • Malawi
  • Zambia
01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M196119862011

How they compare

Malawi currently reports 3.73 million hectares against 3.44 million hectares in Zambia, a difference of 295,000 hectares.

That makes Malawi's figure about 1.1 times Zambia's.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Zambia ahead.

Malawi ranks 24th and Zambia ranks 27th of 52 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Malawi averaged higher in 2 and Zambia in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Malawi Zambia Difference Ahead
1960s 1.67 million hectares 2.64 million hectares 968,333 hectares Zambia
1970s 2.07 million hectares 2.86 million hectares 790,700 hectares Zambia
1980s 2.18 million hectares 2.48 million hectares 296,500 hectares Zambia
1990s 2.50 million hectares 2.82 million hectares 317,800 hectares Zambia
2000s 3.21 million hectares 2.93 million hectares 278,400 hectares Malawi
2010s 3.73 million hectares 3.58 million hectares 145,000 hectares Malawi

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher arable and permanent cropland, Malawi or Zambia?
Malawi, at 3.73 million hectares against 3.44 million hectares in Zambia as of 2011.
What is the difference in arable and permanent cropland between Malawi and Zambia?
295,000 hectares, with Malawi ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Zambia?
51 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2011.
How do Malawi and Zambia rank globally for arable and permanent cropland?
Malawi ranks 24th and Zambia ranks 27th of 52 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as Arable and permanent cropland (hectares). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Malawi vs Zambia: Arable and permanent cropland. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/compare/arable-and-permanent-cropland-hectares/malawi/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Arable and permanent cropland (hectares)
Unit
hectares
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
58 places, 2,926 data points, 1961–2011
Last refreshed

This land category is the sum of areas under “Arable land” and "Permanent crops”. 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