Agricultural land in Africa
Africa: Agricultural land was 1.16 billion hectares in 2011. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Africa, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Africa recorded 1.16 billion hectares for agricultural land in 2011. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Africa peaked at 1.16 billion hectares in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1.05 billion hectares, in 1962.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Africa, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.05 billion hectares | — |
| 1962 | 1.05 billion hectares | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 1.05 billion hectares | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 1.05 billion hectares | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.05 billion hectares | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 1.06 billion hectares | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 1.06 billion hectares | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 1.06 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 1.06 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 1.06 billion hectares | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 1.07 billion hectares | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 1.07 billion hectares | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 1.07 billion hectares | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 1.07 billion hectares | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.07 billion hectares | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 1.07 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 1.07 billion hectares | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 1.07 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 1.07 billion hectares | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1.08 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 1.07 billion hectares | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 1.07 billion hectares | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 1.07 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 1.08 billion hectares | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 1.08 billion hectares | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 1.08 billion hectares | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 1.09 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 1.09 billion hectares | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 1.10 billion hectares | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 1.10 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 1.10 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 1.11 billion hectares | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 1.09 billion hectares | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 1.10 billion hectares | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 1.10 billion hectares | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 1.10 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 1.11 billion hectares | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 1.11 billion hectares | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 1.12 billion hectares | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 1.12 billion hectares | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 1.12 billion hectares | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 1.13 billion hectares | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 1.14 billion hectares | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 1.14 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 1.15 billion hectares | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 1.15 billion hectares | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 1.15 billion hectares | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 1.16 billion hectares | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 1.16 billion hectares | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 1.16 billion hectares | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 1.16 billion hectares | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.06 billion hectares | 1.05 billion hectares | 1.06 billion hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.07 billion hectares | 1.06 billion hectares | 1.07 billion hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.08 billion hectares | 1.07 billion hectares | 1.10 billion hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.10 billion hectares | 1.09 billion hectares | 1.12 billion hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.14 billion hectares | 1.12 billion hectares | 1.16 billion hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.16 billion hectares | 1.16 billion hectares | 1.16 billion hectares | 2 |
Countries ranked near Africa
More agriculture & rural data for Africa
- Meat of pig with the bone, fresh or chilled — Producing -1.13 % change on previous year (2024)
- Swine / pigs — Stocks, annual growth rate 4.21 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tomatoes — Area harvested, annual growth rate 0.0042 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tomatoes — Yield, annual growth rate 3.75 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tomatoes — Production, annual growth rate 3.76 % change on previous year (2024)
- Unmanufactured tobacco — Production 706,446 t (2024)
- Bananas — Production 31.26 million t (2024)
- Meat of pig with the bone, fresh or chilled — Yield/Carcass Weight 50 kg/An (2024)
- Bananas — Area harvested 2.29 million ha (2024)
- Meat of pig with the bone, fresh or chilled — Production 2.37 million t (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Africa?
- Agricultural land in Africa was 1.16 billion hectares in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest agricultural land recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.16 billion hectares in 2011.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.05 billion hectares in 1962.
- How does Africa rank for agricultural land?
- Africa ranks 1st out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as part of Agricultural land (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops.