China vs United States: Projections for global peak agricultural land
China
520.41 million hectares
in 2023
United States
421.54 million hectares
in 2023
China rank
2nd
United States rank
3rd
Projections for global peak agricultural land over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 520.41 million hectares against 421.54 million hectares in United States, a difference of 98.87 million hectares.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was United States ahead.
China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 227 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 5 and United States in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 355.13 million hectares | 438.88 million hectares | 83.75 million hectares | United States |
| 1970s | 398.46 million hectares | 432.06 million hectares | 33.60 million hectares | United States |
| 1980s | 465.99 million hectares | 429.42 million hectares | 36.58 million hectares | China |
| 1990s | 518.68 million hectares | 420.32 million hectares | 98.35 million hectares | China |
| 2000s | 525.55 million hectares | 413.89 million hectares | 111.66 million hectares | China |
| 2010s | 524.08 million hectares | 424.16 million hectares | 99.92 million hectares | China |
| 2020s | 520.48 million hectares | 422.40 million hectares | 98.09 million hectares | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher projections for global peak agricultural land, China or United States?
- China, at 520.41 million hectares against 421.54 million hectares in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in projections for global peak agricultural land between China and United States?
- 98.87 million hectares, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do China and United States rank globally for projections for global peak agricultural land?
- China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 227 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) β 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.