Costa Rica vs New Zealand: Cropland extent over the long-term
Costa Rica
513,458 hectares
in 2025
New Zealand
672,000 hectares
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
126th
New Zealand rank
124th
Cropland extent over the long-term over time
- Costa Rica
- New Zealand
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 672,000 hectares against 513,458 hectares in Costa Rica, a difference of 158,542 hectares.
That makes New Zealand's figure about 1.3 times Costa Rica's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was Costa Rica ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 126th and New Zealand ranks 124th of 202 countries.
Across the 40 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 29 and New Zealand in 11.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | New Zealand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 256,754 hectares | 0 hectares | 256,754 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1100s | 270,722 hectares | 0 hectares | 270,722 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1200s | 284,346 hectares | 0 hectares | 284,346 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1300s | 297,205 hectares | 0 hectares | 297,205 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1400s | 308,691 hectares | 0 hectares | 308,691 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1500s | 317,907 hectares | 178.95 hectares | 317,728 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1600s | 5,271 hectares | 391.44 hectares | 4,880 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1700s | 13,720 hectares | 699.01 hectares | 13,021 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1710s | 14,694 hectares | 820.2 hectares | 13,873 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1720s | 15,731 hectares | 1,015 hectares | 14,716 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1730s | 16,835 hectares | 1,256 hectares | 15,579 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1740s | 18,010 hectares | 1,555 hectares | 16,456 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1750s | 19,260 hectares | 1,924 hectares | 17,336 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1760s | 20,588 hectares | 2,382 hectares | 18,207 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1770s | 21,998 hectares | 2,947 hectares | 19,050 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1780s | 23,492 hectares | 3,648 hectares | 19,844 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1790s | 25,074 hectares | 4,515 hectares | 20,559 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1800s | 26,747 hectares | 5,587 hectares | 21,160 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1810s | 29,448 hectares | 6,915 hectares | 22,533 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1820s | 32,380 hectares | 10,085 hectares | 22,295 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1830s | 37,633 hectares | 14,707 hectares | 22,926 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1840s | 44,274 hectares | 21,447 hectares | 22,827 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1850s | 50,854 hectares | 31,278 hectares | 19,576 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1860s | 57,270 hectares | 45,613 hectares | 11,657 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1870s | 71,045 hectares | 102,235 hectares | 31,190 hectares | New Zealand |
| 1880s | 89,156 hectares | 176,464 hectares | 87,308 hectares | New Zealand |
| 1890s | 106,308 hectares | 311,539 hectares | 205,231 hectares | New Zealand |
| 1900s | 133,242 hectares | 667,548 hectares | 534,306 hectares | New Zealand |
| 1910s | 161,122 hectares | 696,068 hectares | 534,946 hectares | New Zealand |
| 1920s | 192,877 hectares | 725,254 hectares | 532,377 hectares | New Zealand |
| 1930s | 204,640 hectares | 706,774 hectares | 502,134 hectares | New Zealand |
| 1940s | 256,921 hectares | 640,629 hectares | 383,708 hectares | New Zealand |
| 1950s | 409,209 hectares | 479,474 hectares | 70,265 hectares | New Zealand |
| 1960s | 484,700 hectares | 406,000 hectares | 78,700 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1970s | 495,400 hectares | 417,705 hectares | 77,695 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1980s | 516,800 hectares | 466,250 hectares | 50,550 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 1990s | 504,000 hectares | 438,832 hectares | 65,168 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 2000s | 499,500 hectares | 483,698 hectares | 15,802 hectares | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 545,505 hectares | 588,740 hectares | 43,235 hectares | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 520,775 hectares | 646,900 hectares | 126,125 hectares | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cropland extent over the long-term, Costa Rica or New Zealand?
- New Zealand, at 672,000 hectares against 513,458 hectares in Costa Rica as of 2025.
- What is the difference in cropland extent over the long-term between Costa Rica and New Zealand?
- 158,542 hectares, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and New Zealand?
- 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
- How do Costa Rica and New Zealand rank globally for cropland extent over the long-term?
- Costa Rica ranks 126th and New Zealand ranks 124th 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.