Agricultural land per capita in Western Sahara
Western Sahara: Agricultural land per capita was 8.63 hectares per capita in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
8.63 hectares per capita
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
7th
of 226 countries
All-time high
152.7 hectares per capita
in 1961
All-time low
8.63 hectares per capita
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Agricultural land per capita in Western Sahara, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares per capita.
Analysis
In 2023, agricultural land per capita in Western Sahara stood at 8.63 hectares per capita. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.9% on the previous year and down 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land per capita in Western Sahara peaked at 152.7 hectares per capita in 1961 and was at its lowest, 8.63 hectares per capita, in 2023.
That places Western Sahara 7th out of 226 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Agricultural land per capita in Western Sahara, year by year
| Year | hectares per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 152.7 hectares per capita | — |
| 1962 | 141.76 hectares per capita | -7.2% |
| 1963 | 131.88 hectares per capita | -7.0% |
| 1964 | 122.91 hectares per capita | -6.8% |
| 1965 | 114.81 hectares per capita | -6.6% |
| 1966 | 107.43 hectares per capita | -6.4% |
| 1967 | 98.72 hectares per capita | -8.1% |
| 1968 | 89.28 hectares per capita | -9.6% |
| 1969 | 81.1 hectares per capita | -9.2% |
| 1970 | 69.72 hectares per capita | -14.0% |
| 1971 | 63.53 hectares per capita | -8.9% |
| 1972 | 63.91 hectares per capita | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 64.4 hectares per capita | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 65.39 hectares per capita | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 74.76 hectares per capita | +14.3% |
| 1976 | 77.54 hectares per capita | +3.7% |
| 1977 | 64.62 hectares per capita | -16.7% |
| 1978 | 55.03 hectares per capita | -14.8% |
| 1979 | 47.64 hectares per capita | -13.4% |
| 1980 | 42.61 hectares per capita | -10.6% |
| 1981 | 39.41 hectares per capita | -7.5% |
| 1982 | 37.19 hectares per capita | -5.6% |
| 1983 | 35.58 hectares per capita | -4.3% |
| 1984 | 34.23 hectares per capita | -3.8% |
| 1985 | 32.96 hectares per capita | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 31.79 hectares per capita | -3.6% |
| 1987 | 30.71 hectares per capita | -3.4% |
| 1988 | 29.71 hectares per capita | -3.3% |
| 1989 | 28.76 hectares per capita | -3.2% |
| 1990 | 27.87 hectares per capita | -3.1% |
| 1991 | 27 hectares per capita | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 26.21 hectares per capita | -3.0% |
| 1993 | 25.47 hectares per capita | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 24.78 hectares per capita | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 23.84 hectares per capita | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 22.6 hectares per capita | -5.2% |
| 1997 | 21.4 hectares per capita | -5.3% |
| 1998 | 20.32 hectares per capita | -5.1% |
| 1999 | 19.32 hectares per capita | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 18.4 hectares per capita | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 17.55 hectares per capita | -4.6% |
| 2002 | 16.77 hectares per capita | -4.4% |
| 2003 | 16.05 hectares per capita | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 15.39 hectares per capita | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 14.77 hectares per capita | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 14.19 hectares per capita | -4.0% |
| 2007 | 13.64 hectares per capita | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 13.14 hectares per capita | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 12.67 hectares per capita | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 12.21 hectares per capita | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 11.77 hectares per capita | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 11.35 hectares per capita | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 10.94 hectares per capita | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 10.59 hectares per capita | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 10.29 hectares per capita | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 10.01 hectares per capita | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 9.76 hectares per capita | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 9.52 hectares per capita | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 9.29 hectares per capita | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 9.11 hectares per capita | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 8.96 hectares per capita | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 8.8 hectares per capita | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 8.63 hectares per capita | -1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 115.62 hectares per capita | 81.1 hectares per capita | 152.7 hectares per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 64.65 hectares per capita | 47.64 hectares per capita | 77.54 hectares per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 34.3 hectares per capita | 28.76 hectares per capita | 42.61 hectares per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.88 hectares per capita | 19.32 hectares per capita | 27.87 hectares per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.26 hectares per capita | 12.67 hectares per capita | 18.4 hectares per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.57 hectares per capita | 9.29 hectares per capita | 12.21 hectares per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.87 hectares per capita | 8.63 hectares per capita | 9.11 hectares per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near Western Sahara
- 4 Namibia 13.1 hectares per capita compare
- 5 Kazakhstan 10.54 hectares per capita compare
- 6 Botswana 10.43 hectares per capita compare
- 8 Mauritania 7.91 hectares per capita compare
- 9 Turkmenistan 5.37 hectares per capita compare
- 10 Saudi Arabia 5.22 hectares per capita compare
More agriculture & rural data for Western Sahara
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Projections for global peak agricultural land 5.00 million hectares (2023)
- Agricultural land use, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2023)
- Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade 0.0% (2023)
- Agricultural land use 5.00 million hectares (2023)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Employment in agriculture - ILO 44.83 1000 No (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 19.2 % (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 18.6 % (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 16.4 % (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Employment in agriculture - ILO 36.1 1000 No (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land per capita in Western Sahara?
- Agricultural land per capita in Western Sahara was 8.63 hectares per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest agricultural land per capita recorded in Western Sahara?
- The highest recorded value was 152.7 hectares per capita in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land per capita recorded in Western Sahara?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.63 hectares per capita in 2023.
- How does Western Sahara rank for agricultural land per capita?
- Western Sahara ranks 7th out of 226 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land per capita rising or falling in Western Sahara?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Western Sahara data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Agricultural land per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Agricultural land is the sum of cropland and land used as pasture for grazing livestock.