Agricultural land in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Agricultural land was 46.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in East Asia & Pacific, 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 East Asia & Pacific stood at 46.8%.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 51.2% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 43.5%, in 1961.
That places East Asia & Pacific 6th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 43.5% | — |
| 1962 | 43.7% | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 44.0% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 44.2% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 44.6% | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 44.8% | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 45.1% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 46.2% | +2.6% |
| 1969 | 46.3% | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 45.8% | -1.1% |
| 1971 | 46.2% | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 46.5% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 46.7% | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 47.1% | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 47.4% | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 47.1% | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 47.0% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 47.5% | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 47.6% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 47.9% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 48.2% | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 48.4% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 48.6% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 49.1% | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 49.8% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 49.4% | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 49.8% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 50.2% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 50.3% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 50.5% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 50.5% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 50.6% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 50.4% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 50.9% | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 50.7% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 50.8% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 51.1% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 51.2% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 50.9% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 50.9% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 51.0% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 50.7% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 49.8% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 48.0% | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 48.7% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 48.8% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 48.4% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 48.1% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 48.0% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 47.6% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 48.5% | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 48.1% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 47.5% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 47.5% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 46.5% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 46.2% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 47.4% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 46.9% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 47.0% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 46.7% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 47.1% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 47.1% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 46.8% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 44.7% | 43.5% | 46.3% | 9 |
| 1970s | 46.9% | 45.8% | 47.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.2% | 47.9% | 50.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 50.8% | 50.4% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.2% | 48.0% | 51.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.3% | 46.2% | 48.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.9% | 46.7% | 47.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
- 3 Burundi 83.9% compare
- 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
More agriculture & rural data for East Asia & Pacific
- Rural population, per capita 0.3523 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 5.5% (2025)
- Rural population 842.28 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -1.0% (2025)
- Rural population 35.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 778.27 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 3.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0553 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in East Asia & Pacific?
- Agricultural land in East Asia & Pacific was 46.8% 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 East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 51.2% in 1998.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.5% in 1961.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for agricultural land?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 6th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific 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
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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.