Agricultural land in Rwanda
Rwanda: Agricultural land was 76.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Rwanda, 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 Rwanda is 76.3%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.6% on the previous year and down 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Rwanda peaked at 81.4% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 53.3%, in 1961.
That places Rwanda 9th out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 53.3% | — |
| 1962 | 53.7% | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 54.1% | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 54.5% | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 54.9% | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 55.3% | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 55.7% | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 56.1% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 56.6% | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 56.9% | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 58.7% | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 61.1% | +4.1% |
| 1973 | 61.0% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 64.2% | +5.2% |
| 1975 | 65.3% | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 66.4% | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 67.5% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 68.1% | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 68.8% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 69.5% | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 71.3% | +2.6% |
| 1982 | 71.9% | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 72.6% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 73.3% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 73.7% | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 74.2% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 74.7% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 75.1% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 75.2% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 76.1% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 76.0% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 74.4% | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 71.1% | -4.4% |
| 1994 | 62.8% | -11.7% |
| 1995 | 62.8% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 64.9% | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 66.9% | +3.1% |
| 1998 | 67.7% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 69.6% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 74.0% | +6.3% |
| 2001 | 76.9% | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 76.5% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 76.4% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 76.3% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 76.2% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 76.4% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 76.1% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 76.2% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 77.3% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 77.9% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 78.8% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 79.4% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 80.3% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 81.3% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 81.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 81.3% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 81.3% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 79.0% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 77.2% | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 79.4% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 81.3% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 80.0% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 76.3% | -4.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 54.9% | 53.3% | 56.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 63.8% | 56.9% | 68.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 73.1% | 69.5% | 75.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 69.2% | 62.8% | 76.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.2% | 74.0% | 77.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.8% | 77.2% | 81.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.3% | 76.3% | 81.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
- 6 South Africa 79.4% compare
- 7 Kazakhstan 79.4% compare
- 8 Lesotho 77.8% compare
- 10 Nigeria 76.2% compare
- 11 Republic of Moldova 74.1% compare
- 12 Syrian Arab Republic 74.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Rwanda
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 5.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.203 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 228.16 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6953 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6909 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 20.3% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 20.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.9% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Rwanda?
- Agricultural land in Rwanda was 76.3% 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 81.4% in 2015.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.3% in 1961.
- How does Rwanda rank for agricultural land?
- Rwanda ranks 9th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.