Agricultural land in OECD members
OECD members: Agricultural land was 34.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in OECD members, 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 OECD members stood at 34.3%.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in OECD members peaked at 40.4% in 1968 and was at its lowest, 34.0%, in 2016.
That places OECD members 32nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 39.5% | — |
| 1962 | 39.5% | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 39.6% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 39.6% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 39.6% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 39.6% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 39.7% | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 40.4% | +1.7% |
| 1969 | 40.3% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 39.9% | -1.1% |
| 1971 | 39.9% | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 39.9% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 39.8% | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 39.8% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 39.7% | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 39.8% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 39.5% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 39.6% | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 39.5% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 39.6% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 39.5% | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 39.4% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 39.3% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 39.4% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 39.4% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 38.8% | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 38.8% | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 38.8% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 38.7% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 38.6% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 38.6% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 38.6% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 38.4% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 38.5% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 38.3% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 38.2% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 38.1% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 38.1% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 37.8% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 37.8% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 37.7% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 37.4% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 37.1% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 35.9% | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 36.3% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 36.2% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 35.8% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 35.5% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 35.3% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 35.0% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 35.5% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 35.3% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 34.9% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 34.9% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 34.2% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 34.0% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 34.7% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 34.3% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 34.4% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 34.2% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 34.5% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 34.4% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 34.3% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 39.8% | 39.5% | 40.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 39.7% | 39.5% | 39.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 39.2% | 38.7% | 39.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.3% | 37.8% | 38.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.5% | 35.3% | 37.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.7% | 34.0% | 35.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.3% | 34.2% | 34.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More agriculture & rural data for OECD members
- Rural population, per capita 0.1868 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.4% (2024)
- Rural population 262.00 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.3% (2025)
- Rural population 18.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.3% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 699.9 current US$ per person (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0143 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in OECD members?
- Agricultural land in OECD members was 34.3% 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 40.4% in 1968.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.0% in 2016.
- How does OECD members rank for agricultural land?
- OECD members ranks 32nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members 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.