Agricultural land in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Agricultural land was 48.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Sri Lanka, 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
Sri Lanka recorded 48.6% for agricultural land in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.9% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Sri Lanka peaked at 48.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 27.2%, in 1962.
That places Sri Lanka 66th out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 27.5% | — |
| 1962 | 27.2% | -0.9% |
| 1963 | 32.8% | +20.7% |
| 1964 | 33.5% | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 34.4% | +2.5% |
| 1966 | 35.2% | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 36.0% | +2.3% |
| 1968 | 37.0% | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 37.1% | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 37.2% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 37.3% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 37.4% | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 37.5% | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 37.6% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 37.6% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 38.2% | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 38.8% | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 39.4% | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 37.6% | -4.5% |
| 1980 | 37.5% | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 37.5% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 36.6% | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 36.8% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 36.9% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 36.9% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 37.1% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 37.2% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 37.3% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 37.3% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 37.3% | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 37.3% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 37.4% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 37.0% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 37.0% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 37.1% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 37.1% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 37.1% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 37.1% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 37.4% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 37.5% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 37.5% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 37.6% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 38.0% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 36.5% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 39.7% | +8.9% |
| 2006 | 38.8% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 38.0% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 41.4% | +9.0% |
| 2009 | 41.6% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 41.8% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 43.5% | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 43.7% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 43.7% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 43.7% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 44.3% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 44.4% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 44.6% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 45.4% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 45.4% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 45.5% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 45.5% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 45.5% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 48.6% | +6.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 33.4% | 27.2% | 37.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 37.9% | 37.2% | 39.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 37.1% | 36.6% | 37.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.2% | 37.0% | 37.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 38.7% | 36.5% | 41.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.1% | 41.8% | 45.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.2% | 45.5% | 48.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0836 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 418.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9172 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7955 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Sri Lanka?
- Agricultural land in Sri Lanka was 48.6% 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 48.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.2% in 1962.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for agricultural land?
- Sri Lanka ranks 66th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.