Agricultural land in Small states
Small states: Agricultural land was 12.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Small states, 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 Small states is 12.0%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 2.3% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Small states peaked at 12.9% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 10.9%, in 1983.
Small states ranks 45th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Small states, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 12.3% | — |
| 1962 | 12.3% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 12.3% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 12.3% | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 12.3% | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 12.4% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 12.4% | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 12.4% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 12.4% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 12.3% | -1.0% |
| 1971 | 12.2% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 12.3% | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 12.3% | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 12.1% | -1.6% |
| 1975 | 11.7% | -3.3% |
| 1976 | 11.4% | -3.0% |
| 1977 | 11.3% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 11.3% | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 11.2% | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 11.0% | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 11.0% | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 10.9% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 10.9% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 10.9% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 10.9% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 11.0% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 11.1% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 11.1% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 11.0% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 11.1% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 11.2% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 12.5% | +11.4% |
| 1993 | 12.5% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 12.3% | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 12.2% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 12.3% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 12.3% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 12.4% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 12.4% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 12.4% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 12.4% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 12.1% | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 12.3% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 12.3% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 12.4% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 12.9% | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 12.9% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 12.7% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 12.8% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 12.8% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 12.8% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 12.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 12.4% | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 12.5% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 12.5% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 12.5% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 12.5% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 12.5% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 12.3% | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 12.3% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 12.3% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 12.0% | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.3% | 12.3% | 12.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 11.8% | 11.2% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.0% | 10.9% | 11.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.1% | 11.1% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.5% | 12.1% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.6% | 12.4% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.2% | 12.0% | 12.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Small states
- 42 Afghanistan 58.4% compare
- 43 Uzbekistan 58.1% compare
- 44 Azerbaijan 57.8% compare
- 45 El Salvador 57.7% compare
- 46 Hungary 55.7% compare
- 47 China 55.4% compare
- 48 Ghana 55.4% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Small states
- Rural population, per capita 0.479 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 3.7% (2025)
- Rural population 9.75 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Rural population 47.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.2% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 611.84 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 11.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0369 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Small states?
- Agricultural land in Small states was 12.0% 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 Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 12.9% in 2006.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.9% in 1983.
- How does Small states rank for agricultural land?
- Small states ranks 45th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Small states 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.