Agricultural land in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Agricultural land was 5.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in United Arab Emirates, 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
United Arab Emirates recorded 5.5% for agricultural land in 2023.
That represents a change of up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in United Arab Emirates peaked at 8.0% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 1961.
That places United Arab Emirates 194th out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.9% | — |
| 1962 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 2.9% | +0.5% |
| 1966 | 3.0% | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 3.0% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 3.0% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 3.0% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 3.0% | +1.0% |
| 1971 | 3.0% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 3.0% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 3.0% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 3.0% | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 3.0% | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 3.1% | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 3.1% | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 3.1% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 3.1% | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 3.2% | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 3.2% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 3.3% | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 3.3% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 3.3% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 3.4% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 3.4% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 4.0% | +19.2% |
| 1991 | 4.4% | +8.8% |
| 1992 | 4.8% | +9.4% |
| 1993 | 5.0% | +4.7% |
| 1994 | 5.2% | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 5.4% | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 5.4% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 5.6% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 5.6% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 7.3% | +29.6% |
| 2000 | 7.7% | +6.0% |
| 2001 | 7.9% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 8.0% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 7.8% | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 7.8% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 7.8% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 7.6% | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 7.5% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 7.6% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 5.5% | -28.1% |
| 2010 | 5.5% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 5.5% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 5.3% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 5.4% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 5.4% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 5.4% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 5.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5.4% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 5.5% | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 5.5% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 5.5% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 5.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 24.8%, 22% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 5.5% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 25.9%, 21% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Agricultural land in United Arab Emirates changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +29.6% | 5.6% | 7.3% |
| 2009 | -28.1% | 7.6% | 5.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.9% | 2.9% | 3.0% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.3% | 4.0% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.5% | 5.5% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.4% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More agriculture & rural data for United Arab Emirates
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0077 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 386.83 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 3.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1404 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.8% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.4% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in United Arab Emirates?
- Agricultural land in United Arab Emirates was 5.5% 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 United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 8.0% in 2002.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 1961.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for agricultural land?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 194th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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.