China vs India: Cropland extent over the long-term
China
133.72 million hectares
in 2025
India
166.71 million hectares
in 2025
China rank
3rd
India rank
1st
Cropland extent over the long-term over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 166.71 million hectares against 133.72 million hectares in China, a difference of 32.99 million hectares.
That makes India's figure about 1.2 times China's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was India ahead.
China ranks 3rd and India ranks 1st of 202 countries.
Across the 40 decades both report, China averaged higher in 13 and India in 27.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 20.62 million hectares | 27.36 million hectares | 6.74 million hectares | India |
| 1100s | 49.27 million hectares | 27.99 million hectares | 21.28 million hectares | China |
| 1200s | 55.15 million hectares | 28.61 million hectares | 26.55 million hectares | China |
| 1300s | 42.35 million hectares | 29.21 million hectares | 13.14 million hectares | China |
| 1400s | 37.27 million hectares | 29.80 million hectares | 7.47 million hectares | China |
| 1500s | 46.63 million hectares | 30.37 million hectares | 16.26 million hectares | China |
| 1600s | 48.81 million hectares | 30.93 million hectares | 17.89 million hectares | China |
| 1700s | 50.84 million hectares | 37.43 million hectares | 13.41 million hectares | China |
| 1710s | 53.08 million hectares | 40.24 million hectares | 12.83 million hectares | China |
| 1720s | 55.54 million hectares | 43.27 million hectares | 12.27 million hectares | China |
| 1730s | 56.67 million hectares | 46.53 million hectares | 10.15 million hectares | China |
| 1740s | 57.21 million hectares | 50.03 million hectares | 7.18 million hectares | China |
| 1750s | 58.15 million hectares | 53.80 million hectares | 4.36 million hectares | China |
| 1760s | 58.78 million hectares | 57.85 million hectares | 932,800 hectares | China |
| 1770s | 59.53 million hectares | 62.20 million hectares | 2.67 million hectares | India |
| 1780s | 61.04 million hectares | 66.88 million hectares | 5.84 million hectares | India |
| 1790s | 62.90 million hectares | 71.91 million hectares | 9.01 million hectares | India |
| 1800s | 64.70 million hectares | 77.33 million hectares | 12.63 million hectares | India |
| 1810s | 67.45 million hectares | 83.15 million hectares | 15.69 million hectares | India |
| 1820s | 70.57 million hectares | 89.41 million hectares | 18.83 million hectares | India |
| 1830s | 71.64 million hectares | 96.14 million hectares | 24.49 million hectares | India |
| 1840s | 72.10 million hectares | 103.37 million hectares | 31.28 million hectares | India |
| 1850s | 72.53 million hectares | 111.15 million hectares | 38.62 million hectares | India |
| 1860s | 72.79 million hectares | 112.75 million hectares | 39.97 million hectares | India |
| 1870s | 72.57 million hectares | 114.38 million hectares | 41.81 million hectares | India |
| 1880s | 72.90 million hectares | 116.08 million hectares | 43.18 million hectares | India |
| 1890s | 74.86 million hectares | 117.80 million hectares | 42.94 million hectares | India |
| 1900s | 76.92 million hectares | 119.51 million hectares | 42.60 million hectares | India |
| 1910s | 81.20 million hectares | 121.23 million hectares | 40.03 million hectares | India |
| 1920s | 85.49 million hectares | 122.94 million hectares | 37.45 million hectares | India |
| 1930s | 89.78 million hectares | 131.75 million hectares | 41.97 million hectares | India |
| 1940s | 98.62 million hectares | 140.55 million hectares | 41.94 million hectares | India |
| 1950s | 119.00 million hectares | 154.33 million hectares | 35.33 million hectares | India |
| 1960s | 121.25 million hectares | 162.07 million hectares | 40.82 million hectares | India |
| 1970s | 138.15 million hectares | 165.88 million hectares | 27.73 million hectares | India |
| 1980s | 144.77 million hectares | 168.50 million hectares | 23.73 million hectares | India |
| 1990s | 141.85 million hectares | 169.45 million hectares | 27.60 million hectares | India |
| 2000s | 135.28 million hectares | 169.15 million hectares | 33.88 million hectares | India |
| 2010s | 133.37 million hectares | 168.61 million hectares | 35.24 million hectares | India |
| 2020s | 133.62 million hectares | 167.20 million hectares | 33.58 million hectares | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cropland extent over the long-term, China or India?
- India, at 166.71 million hectares against 133.72 million hectares in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in cropland extent over the long-term between China and India?
- 32.99 million hectares, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
- How do China and India rank globally for cropland extent over the long-term?
- China ranks 3rd and India ranks 1st of 202 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- HYDE (2025) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Cropland extent over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total cropland area for each separate country over time.