China vs United States of America: Arable land

China
108.43 million hectares
in 2023
United States of America
151.56 million hectares
in 2023
China rank
4th
United States of America rank
2nd

Arable land over time

  • China
  • United States of America
050.0M100.0M150.0M200.0M196119922023

How they compare

United States of America currently reports 151.56 million hectares against 108.43 million hectares in China, a difference of 43.14 million hectares.

That makes United States of America's figure about 1.4 times China's.

Across all 63 years both countries report, United States of America has been ahead every year.

China ranks 4th and United States of America ranks 2nd of 206 countries.

United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China United States of America Difference Ahead
1960s 101.39 million hectares 179.19 million hectares 77.80 million hectares United States of America
1970s 97.60 million hectares 187.49 million hectares 89.89 million hectares United States of America
1980s 111.99 million hectares 187.35 million hectares 75.36 million hectares United States of America
1990s 120.96 million hectares 181.03 million hectares 60.07 million hectares United States of America
2000s 120.45 million hectares 167.48 million hectares 47.03 million hectares United States of America
2010s 114.75 million hectares 156.24 million hectares 41.49 million hectares United States of America
2020s 108.69 million hectares 152.43 million hectares 43.74 million hectares United States of America

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher arable land, China or United States of America?
United States of America, at 151.56 million hectares against 108.43 million hectares in China as of 2023.
What is the difference in arable land between China and United States of America?
43.14 million hectares, with United States of America ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States of America?
63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
How do China and United States of America rank globally for arable land?
China ranks 4th and United States of America ranks 2nd 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.

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China vs United States of America: Arable 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/arable-land-hectares/china/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Arable land (hectares)
Unit
hectares
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
206 places, 11,871 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

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.