Agricultural land in Benin
Benin: Agricultural land was 41.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Benin, 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
Benin recorded 41.8% for agricultural land in 2023.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and up 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Benin peaked at 43.1% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 12.5%, in 1961.
That places Benin 93rd out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Benin, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 12.5% | — |
| 1962 | 12.7% | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 12.9% | +1.4% |
| 1964 | 13.1% | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 13.3% | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 13.5% | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 13.9% | +2.9% |
| 1968 | 14.2% | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 14.9% | +5.3% |
| 1970 | 15.1% | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 15.6% | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 15.8% | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 16.0% | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 16.3% | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 16.6% | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 16.8% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 17.1% | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 17.3% | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 17.5% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 17.8% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 18.0% | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 18.4% | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 18.4% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 18.6% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 18.9% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 19.4% | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 19.5% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 19.6% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 19.6% | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 20.1% | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 20.1% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 20.3% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 20.6% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 21.2% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 22.3% | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 24.0% | +7.6% |
| 1997 | 25.6% | +6.8% |
| 1998 | 27.0% | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 27.5% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 28.3% | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 28.9% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 29.9% | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 30.8% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 30.7% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 30.8% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 29.6% | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 30.0% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 31.8% | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 33.2% | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 30.9% | -6.8% |
| 2011 | 32.1% | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 33.4% | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 35.3% | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 35.5% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 36.1% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 34.4% | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 36.3% | +5.6% |
| 2018 | 39.6% | +9.0% |
| 2019 | 41.1% | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 39.3% | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 41.0% | +4.3% |
| 2022 | 43.1% | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 41.8% | -2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 13.5% | 12.5% | 14.9% | 9 |
| 1970s | 16.4% | 15.1% | 17.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.8% | 17.8% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.9% | 20.1% | 27.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.4% | 28.3% | 33.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.5% | 30.9% | 41.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.3% | 39.3% | 43.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More agriculture & rural data for Benin
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2292 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 380.06 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6697 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4664 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 22.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 22.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 52.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Benin?
- Agricultural land in Benin was 41.8% 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 Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 43.1% in 2022.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.5% in 1961.
- How does Benin rank for agricultural land?
- Benin ranks 93rd out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin 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.