Agricultural land in Ghana
Ghana: Agricultural land was 55.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Ghana, 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 Ghana is 55.4%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Ghana peaked at 59.7% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 51.4%, in 1961.
Ghana ranks 48th of 210 countries 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 Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 51.4% | — |
| 1962 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 51.9% | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 51.9% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 51.9% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 52.3% | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 52.3% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 52.3% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 52.3% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 53.1% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 53.1% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 54.0% | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 54.4% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 54.3% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 54.7% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 55.1% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 55.1% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 55.5% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 55.9% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 55.9% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 56.3% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 56.7% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 57.6% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 58.5% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 59.7% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 57.1% | -4.4% |
| 1999 | 57.4% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 56.1% | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 56.7% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 57.4% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 55.3% | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 52.2% | -5.7% |
| 2005 | 53.3% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 52.9% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 54.8% | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 52.8% | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 54.1% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 54.5% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 54.1% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 54.3% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 54.8% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 54.4% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 54.6% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 54.3% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 53.1% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 53.7% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 54.8% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 55.4% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 55.4% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 55.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 55.4% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 51.4% | 51.4% | 51.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 51.7% | 51.4% | 52.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 53.8% | 52.3% | 55.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.0% | 55.5% | 59.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.6% | 52.2% | 57.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.3% | 53.1% | 54.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.4% | 55.4% | 55.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 45 El Salvador 57.7% compare
- 46 Hungary 55.7% compare
- 47 China 55.4% compare
- 49 Dominican Republic 55.4% compare
- 50 Romania 55.3% compare
- 51 Sierra Leone 54.7% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Ghana
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 41.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2128 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 692.99 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4821 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4108 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 21.3% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 21.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Ghana?
- Agricultural land in Ghana was 55.4% 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 59.7% in 1997.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.4% in 1961.
- How does Ghana rank for agricultural land?
- Ghana ranks 48th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana 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.