Agricultural land in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Agricultural land was 32.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Latin America & Caribbean, 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
Latin America & Caribbean recorded 32.9% for agricultural land in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 33.8% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 28.3%, in 1961.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 36th out of 47 groups 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 Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 28.3% | — |
| 1962 | 28.5% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 28.7% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 28.8% | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 29.0% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 29.2% | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 29.3% | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 29.5% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 29.6% | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 29.8% | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 30.1% | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 30.4% | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 30.7% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 30.9% | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 31.2% | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 31.5% | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 31.9% | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 32.2% | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 32.5% | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 32.8% | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 32.9% | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 33.1% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 33.3% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 33.5% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 33.7% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 33.7% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 33.7% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 33.7% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 33.7% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 33.7% | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 33.7% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 33.6% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 33.6% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 33.5% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 33.5% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 33.5% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 33.6% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 33.7% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 33.7% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 33.7% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 33.6% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 33.6% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 33.6% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 33.7% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 33.8% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 33.7% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 33.8% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 33.6% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 33.4% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 33.5% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 33.4% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 33.4% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 33.4% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 33.3% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 33.3% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 33.2% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 33.0% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 32.9% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 32.9% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 33.2% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 33.2% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 33.1% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 32.9% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 29.0% | 28.3% | 29.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 31.1% | 29.8% | 32.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 33.4% | 32.8% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.6% | 33.5% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.6% | 33.4% | 33.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.2% | 32.9% | 33.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.1% | 32.9% | 33.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More agriculture & rural data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Rural population, per capita 0.1849 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 6.8% (2025)
- Rural population 123.28 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.6% (2025)
- Rural population 18.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.3% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 754.45 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.068 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Agricultural land in Latin America & Caribbean was 32.9% 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 Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 33.8% in 2007.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.3% in 1961.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for agricultural land?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 36th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.