Agricultural land in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Agricultural land was 46.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, agricultural land in Africa Eastern and Southern stood at 46.6%. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 46.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 40.4%, in 1965.
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 7th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 40.5% | — |
| 1962 | 40.4% | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 40.4% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 40.4% | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 40.4% | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 40.4% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 40.4% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 40.4% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 40.4% | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 40.5% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 40.6% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 40.6% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 40.7% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 40.7% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 40.7% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 40.7% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 40.8% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 40.9% | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 40.8% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 40.8% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 41.0% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 41.0% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 41.1% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 41.1% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 41.4% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 41.4% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 41.5% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 41.6% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 41.7% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 41.6% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 41.8% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 41.9% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 41.3% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 41.5% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 41.6% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 41.6% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 41.8% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 41.9% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 42.1% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 42.3% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 42.4% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 42.5% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 42.6% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 42.3% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 42.4% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 42.5% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 42.7% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 42.8% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 43.1% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 43.3% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 43.6% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 45.8% | +5.1% |
| 2013 | 45.9% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 46.0% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 46.1% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 46.2% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 46.3% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 46.4% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 46.4% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 46.5% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 46.5% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 46.6% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 46.6% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 40.4% | 40.4% | 40.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 40.7% | 40.5% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 41.3% | 40.8% | 41.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 41.7% | 41.3% | 42.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.6% | 42.3% | 43.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.6% | 43.3% | 46.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.5% | 46.5% | 46.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
- 4 Uruguay 81.4% compare
- 5 Saudi Arabia 80.8% compare
- 6 South Africa 79.4% compare
- 7 Kazakhstan 79.4% compare
- 8 Lesotho 77.8% compare
- 9 Rwanda 76.3% compare
- 10 Nigeria 76.2% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Rural population, per capita 0.613 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 15.4% (2025)
- Rural population 483.55 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.8% (2025)
- Rural population 61.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 265.55 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1542 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Agricultural land in Africa Eastern and Southern was 46.6% in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest agricultural land recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 46.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.4% in 1965.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for agricultural land?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 7th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Agricultural land (% of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 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.