Agricultural land in Malawi
Malawi: Agricultural land was 5.58 million hectares in 2011. β² Rising
Agricultural land in Malawi, 1961β2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for agricultural land in Malawi is 5.58 million hectares, measured in 2011. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Malawi peaked at 5.58 million hectares in 2010 and was at its lowest, 3.20 million hectares, in 1961.
That places Malawi 33rd out of 53 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.51 million hectares | 3.20 million hectares | 3.76 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.91 million hectares | 3.71 million hectares | 3.97 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.02 million hectares | 3.83 million hectares | 4.17 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.35 million hectares | 4.07 million hectares | 4.67 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.06 million hectares | 4.72 million hectares | 5.48 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.58 million hectares | 5.58 million hectares | 5.58 million hectares | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture share gdp 30.03 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 30.03 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
- Rural population 82.4% (2025)
- Rural population growth 2.2% (2025)
- Rural population 18.31 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 30.0% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 4.48 billion current US$ (2025)
- Bananas β Production 1.13 million t (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Malawi?
- Agricultural land in Malawi was 5.58 million hectares in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest agricultural land recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 5.58 million hectares in 2010.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.20 million hectares in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for agricultural land?
- Malawi ranks 33rd out of 53 countries with data for 2011.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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 Β· JSON β 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.