Australia vs China: Projections for global peak agricultural land
Australia
363.24 million hectares
in 2023
China
520.41 million hectares
in 2023
Australia rank
4th
China rank
2nd
Projections for global peak agricultural land over time
- Australia
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 520.41 million hectares against 363.24 million hectares in Australia, a difference of 157.17 million hectares.
That makes China's figure about 1.4 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 4th and China ranks 2nd of 227 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 3 and China in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 488.85 million hectares | 355.13 million hectares | 133.72 million hectares | Australia |
| 1970s | 497.22 million hectares | 398.46 million hectares | 98.76 million hectares | Australia |
| 1980s | 481.78 million hectares | 465.99 million hectares | 15.79 million hectares | Australia |
| 1990s | 463.09 million hectares | 518.68 million hectares | 55.59 million hectares | China |
| 2000s | 418.40 million hectares | 525.55 million hectares | 107.14 million hectares | China |
| 2010s | 368.97 million hectares | 524.08 million hectares | 155.11 million hectares | China |
| 2020s | 361.51 million hectares | 520.48 million hectares | 158.97 million hectares | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher projections for global peak agricultural land, Australia or China?
- China, at 520.41 million hectares against 363.24 million hectares in Australia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in projections for global peak agricultural land between Australia and China?
- 157.17 million hectares, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and China?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do Australia and China rank globally for projections for global peak agricultural land?
- Australia ranks 4th and China ranks 2nd of 227 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Projections for global peak agricultural land. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Land used for cultivation of crops and animal husbandry. The total of areas under cropland and permanent meadows and pastures.