China vs India: Arable land
China
108.43 million hectares
in 2023
India
153.87 million hectares
in 2023
China rank
4th
India rank
1st
Arable land over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 153.87 million hectares against 108.43 million hectares in China, a difference of 45.44 million hectares.
That makes India's figure about 1.4 times China's.
Across all 63 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
China ranks 4th and India ranks 1st of 206 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 101.39 million hectares | 158.26 million hectares | 56.87 million hectares | India |
| 1970s | 97.60 million hectares | 161.57 million hectares | 63.96 million hectares | India |
| 1980s | 111.99 million hectares | 163.19 million hectares | 51.20 million hectares | India |
| 1990s | 120.96 million hectares | 162.14 million hectares | 41.18 million hectares | India |
| 2000s | 120.45 million hectares | 159.32 million hectares | 38.87 million hectares | India |
| 2010s | 114.75 million hectares | 156.29 million hectares | 41.54 million hectares | India |
| 2020s | 108.69 million hectares | 154.12 million hectares | 45.43 million hectares | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher arable land, China or India?
- India, at 153.87 million hectares against 108.43 million hectares in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in arable land between China and India?
- 45.44 million hectares, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do China and India rank globally for arable land?
- China ranks 4th and India ranks 1st of 206 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 Arable land (hectares). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Arable land (in hectares) 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.