Agricultural land in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Agricultural land was 72.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in Bangladesh, 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
The most recent figure for agricultural land in Bangladesh is 72.3%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Bangladesh peaked at 80.2% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 69.9%, in 2014.
Bangladesh ranks 15th of 210 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 72.8% | — |
| 1962 | 72.8% | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 72.8% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 73.1% | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 74.0% | +1.2% |
| 1966 | 74.1% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 74.5% | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 74.3% | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 74.3% | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 74.5% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 74.5% | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 76.8% | +3.1% |
| 1973 | 76.7% | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 76.7% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 76.9% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 76.8% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 76.8% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 76.7% | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 76.7% | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 76.7% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 76.7% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 76.7% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 76.5% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 77.3% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 77.0% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 77.1% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 77.7% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 80.1% | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 80.2% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 79.8% | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 79.3% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 73.4% | -7.5% |
| 1993 | 72.6% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 71.9% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 72.0% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 71.7% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 71.9% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 72.5% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 72.9% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 72.2% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 72.2% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 71.9% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 71.7% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 71.6% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 71.5% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 71.3% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 71.2% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 71.1% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 71.0% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 71.0% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 70.1% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 70.1% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 70.0% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 69.9% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 70.4% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 70.6% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 70.6% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 70.7% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 72.2% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 72.4% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 72.4% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 72.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 72.3% | -0.1% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 72.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 44.6%, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 72.3% is above the median for South Asia, which is 37.4%, 1.9× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 73.6% | 72.8% | 74.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 76.3% | 74.5% | 76.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 77.6% | 76.5% | 80.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 73.8% | 71.7% | 79.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.6% | 71.0% | 72.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 70.6% | 69.9% | 72.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.4% | 72.3% | 72.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More agriculture & rural data for Bangladesh
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 3.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1142 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 296.72 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6676 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 11.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 11.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2018)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 6.0% (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Bangladesh?
- Agricultural land in Bangladesh was 72.3% 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 Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 80.2% in 1989.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.9% in 2014.
- How does Bangladesh rank for agricultural land?
- Bangladesh ranks 15th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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.