Brazil vs China: Projections for global peak agricultural land
Brazil
236.76 million hectares
in 2023
China
520.41 million hectares
in 2023
Brazil rank
5th
China rank
2nd
Projections for global peak agricultural land over time
- Brazil
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 520.41 million hectares against 236.76 million hectares in Brazil, a difference of 283.65 million hectares.
That makes China's figure about 2.2 times Brazil's.
Across all 63 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
Brazil ranks 5th and China ranks 2nd of 227 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 171.79 million hectares | 355.13 million hectares | 183.35 million hectares | China |
| 1970s | 207.52 million hectares | 398.46 million hectares | 190.94 million hectares | China |
| 1980s | 237.74 million hectares | 465.99 million hectares | 228.26 million hectares | China |
| 1990s | 230.04 million hectares | 518.68 million hectares | 288.64 million hectares | China |
| 2000s | 229.16 million hectares | 525.55 million hectares | 296.38 million hectares | China |
| 2010s | 234.85 million hectares | 524.08 million hectares | 289.23 million hectares | China |
| 2020s | 236.78 million hectares | 520.48 million hectares | 283.71 million hectares | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher projections for global peak agricultural land, Brazil or China?
- China, at 520.41 million hectares against 236.76 million hectares in Brazil as of 2023.
- What is the difference in projections for global peak agricultural land between Brazil and China?
- 283.65 million hectares, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and China?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do Brazil and China rank globally for projections for global peak agricultural land?
- Brazil ranks 5th 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.