Agricultural land in Malawi
Malawi: Agricultural land was 64.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Malawi, 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 Malawi stood at 64.2%. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Malawi peaked at 64.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 33.9%, in 1961.
Malawi ranks 32nd 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 33.9% | — |
| 1962 | 35.0% | +3.1% |
| 1963 | 35.5% | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 36.1% | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 38.2% | +6.0% |
| 1966 | 38.7% | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 38.2% | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 39.3% | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 39.8% | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 39.3% | -1.3% |
| 1971 | 40.9% | +4.0% |
| 1972 | 41.4% | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 42.0% | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 42.0% | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 41.5% | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 41.5% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 41.5% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 42.1% | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 42.1% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 40.6% | -3.5% |
| 1981 | 41.7% | +2.6% |
| 1982 | 42.7% | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 41.8% | -2.2% |
| 1984 | 42.3% | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 42.5% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 43.5% | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 43.6% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 43.6% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 44.2% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 44.7% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 45.8% | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 45.3% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 45.3% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 43.2% | -4.7% |
| 1995 | 45.4% | +5.2% |
| 1996 | 46.5% | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 47.0% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 48.6% | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 49.6% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 50.2% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 51.2% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 51.2% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 52.8% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 52.8% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 54.9% | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 56.1% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 56.1% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 57.6% | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 58.2% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 58.2% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 58.2% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 58.2% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 58.8% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 59.9% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 60.5% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 61.1% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 61.7% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 62.3% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 62.9% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 63.5% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 64.2% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 64.2% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 64.2% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 37.2% | 33.9% | 39.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 41.4% | 39.3% | 42.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 42.7% | 40.6% | 44.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.1% | 43.2% | 49.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.1% | 50.2% | 58.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.2% | 58.2% | 62.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.0% | 63.5% | 64.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 24.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3003 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 201.66 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.8241 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Malawi?
- Agricultural land in Malawi was 64.2% 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 64.2% in 2021.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.9% in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for agricultural land?
- Malawi ranks 32nd out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.