Agricultural land in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Agricultural land was 35.68 million hectares in 2011. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in Ethiopia, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for agricultural land in Ethiopia is 35.68 million hectares, measured in 2011.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Ethiopia peaked at 59.53 million hectares in 1972 and was at its lowest, 30.27 million hectares, in 2002.
Ethiopia ranks 15th of 53 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 58.58 million hectares | 57.84 million hectares | 59.20 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 59.35 million hectares | 59.15 million hectares | 59.53 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 57.82 million hectares | 56.52 million hectares | 59.12 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.23 million hectares | 30.47 million hectares | 56.31 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.62 million hectares | 30.27 million hectares | 35.08 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.33 million hectares | 34.98 million hectares | 35.68 million hectares | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More agriculture & rural data for Ethiopia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -20.36 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3282 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 306.11 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0008 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7589 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 32.82 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 32.82 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.7% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Ethiopia?
- Agricultural land in Ethiopia was 35.68 million hectares in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest agricultural land recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 59.53 million hectares in 1972.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.27 million hectares in 2002.
- How does Ethiopia rank for agricultural land?
- Ethiopia ranks 15th out of 53 countries with data for 2011.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.