Agricultural land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Agricultural land was 35.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 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
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan recorded 35.4% for agricultural land in 2023.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 36.7% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 28.7%, in 1961.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 31st of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 28.7% | — |
| 1962 | 28.7% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 28.7% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 28.8% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 28.8% | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 28.9% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 28.9% | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 28.9% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 28.9% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 29.0% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 29.1% | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 29.3% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 29.4% | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 29.3% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 29.3% | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 29.3% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 29.3% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 29.3% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 29.4% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 29.4% | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 29.0% | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 29.3% | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 29.2% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 29.7% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 30.1% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 30.4% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 31.0% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 31.3% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 31.8% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 32.1% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 32.3% | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 32.5% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 33.1% | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 33.7% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 34.3% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 34.9% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 35.4% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 36.1% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 36.6% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 36.5% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 36.6% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 36.7% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 36.7% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 36.7% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 35.4% | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 35.5% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 35.5% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 35.3% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 35.2% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 35.3% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 35.3% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 35.4% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 35.4% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 35.4% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 35.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 35.5% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 35.6% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 35.6% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 35.5% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 35.5% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 35.5% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 35.4% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 35.4% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 28.8% | 28.7% | 28.9% | 9 |
| 1970s | 29.3% | 29.0% | 29.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.1% | 29.0% | 31.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 34.1% | 32.1% | 36.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.0% | 35.2% | 36.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.4% | 35.3% | 35.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.5% | 35.4% | 35.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
More agriculture & rural data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Rural population, per capita 0.4404 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 6.8% (2025)
- Rural population 364.70 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.2% (2025)
- Rural population 44.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.2% (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 420.06 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0677 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Agricultural land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 35.4% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 36.7% in 2004.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.7% in 1961.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for agricultural land?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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.