Agricultural land in Bhutan
Bhutan: Agricultural land was 13.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Bhutan, 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
Bhutan recorded 13.8% for agricultural land in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Bhutan peaked at 15.6% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 1961.
That places Bhutan 170th out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 7.7% | — |
| 1962 | 7.8% | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 7.8% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 7.8% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 7.8% | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 7.9% | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 7.9% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 7.9% | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 7.9% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 8.2% | +3.2% |
| 1971 | 8.2% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 8.2% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 8.2% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 8.4% | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 8.4% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 8.5% | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 8.6% | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 8.6% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 8.7% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 8.8% | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 8.8% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 8.9% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 9.2% | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 9.5% | +3.3% |
| 1985 | 9.5% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 9.5% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 10.0% | +4.7% |
| 1988 | 9.8% | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 9.7% | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 9.7% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 10.8% | +11.0% |
| 1992 | 10.8% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 10.8% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 12.8% | +18.3% |
| 1995 | 14.2% | +11.0% |
| 1996 | 14.3% | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 14.4% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 14.4% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 14.4% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 14.5% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 14.5% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 14.6% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 14.6% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 15.3% | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 15.6% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 15.1% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 14.8% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 13.7% | -7.4% |
| 2009 | 13.6% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 13.6% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 13.6% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 13.6% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 13.6% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 13.8% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 13.8% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 13.6% | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 13.4% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 13.5% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 13.5% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 13.5% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 13.6% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 13.7% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 13.8% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.8% | 7.7% | 7.9% | 9 |
| 1970s | 8.4% | 8.2% | 8.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.4% | 8.8% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.7% | 9.7% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 13.6% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.6% | 13.4% | 13.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.7% | 13.5% | 13.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More agriculture & rural data for Bhutan
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 3.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1368 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 614.64 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.8653 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5657 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 13.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 13.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Bhutan?
- Agricultural land in Bhutan was 13.8% 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 Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 15.6% in 2005.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 1961.
- How does Bhutan rank for agricultural land?
- Bhutan ranks 170th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan 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.