Agricultural land in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Agricultural land was 41.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Zimbabwe, 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 Zimbabwe is 41.8%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Zimbabwe peaked at 42.4% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 25.8%, in 1961.
Zimbabwe ranks 94th of 210 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 25.8% | — |
| 1962 | 26.0% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 26.3% | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 26.5% | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 26.7% | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 26.7% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 27.0% | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 27.1% | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 27.4% | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 27.7% | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 28.0% | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 28.4% | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 28.6% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 28.9% | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 29.2% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 29.4% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 29.7% | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 29.9% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 30.1% | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 30.4% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 30.8% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 31.1% | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 31.7% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 31.8% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 32.1% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 32.5% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 32.3% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 32.7% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 33.4% | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 33.7% | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 34.2% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 33.9% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 34.5% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 35.5% | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 35.8% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 36.5% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 36.5% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 37.0% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 38.0% | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 39.1% | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 39.3% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 39.9% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 40.4% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 41.2% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 41.5% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 42.0% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 41.7% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 42.4% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 42.0% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 41.7% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 42.2% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 41.9% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 41.8% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 41.8% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 41.8% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 41.8% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 41.8% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 41.8% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 41.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 41.8% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 41.8% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 41.8% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 41.8% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 26.6% | 25.8% | 27.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 29.0% | 27.7% | 30.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 31.9% | 30.4% | 33.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 35.6% | 33.7% | 38.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.9% | 39.1% | 42.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.9% | 41.7% | 42.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.8% | 41.8% | 41.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More agriculture & rural data for Zimbabwe
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 34.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0947 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 286.19 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.8815 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.595 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 9.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 9.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Zimbabwe?
- Agricultural land in Zimbabwe was 41.8% 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 42.4% in 2008.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.8% in 1961.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for agricultural land?
- Zimbabwe ranks 94th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.