Agricultural land in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Agricultural land was 350,957 sq. km in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Democratic Republic of Congo, 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 sq. km.
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 350,957 sq. km for agricultural land in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 350,957 sq. km in 2023 and was at its lowest, 250,500 sq. km, in 1961.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 37th out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 250,500 sq. km | — |
| 1962 | 250,700 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 251,000 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 251,300 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 251,500 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 251,700 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 252,000 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 252,500 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 253,000 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 253,500 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 254,000 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 254,500 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 255,000 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 255,500 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 255,500 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 256,000 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 256,300 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 256,500 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 256,500 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 257,000 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 257,500 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 257,700 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 258,000 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 258,500 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 259,000 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 259,500 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 259,500 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 259,500 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 259,500 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 259,600 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 259,800 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 260,000 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 260,000 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 260,000 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 258,000 sq. km | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 258,000 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 257,000 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 257,000 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 256,000 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 256,000 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 255,500 sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 255,500 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 255,500 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 255,500 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 255,500 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 255,860 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 256,500 sq. km | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 257,000 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 268,870 sq. km | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 284,290 sq. km | +5.7% |
| 2011 | 296,360 sq. km | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 308,860 sq. km | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 314,300 sq. km | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 322,490 sq. km | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 324,500 sq. km | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 326,720 sq. km | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 332,897 sq. km | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 336,148 sq. km | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 338,369 sq. km | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 338,775 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 338,812 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 346,941 sq. km | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 350,957 sq. km | +1.2% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 350,957 sq. km is above the median for low income countries, which is 146,108 sq. km, 2.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 350,957 sq. km is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 135,094 sq. km, 2.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 251,578 sq. km | 250,500 sq. km | 253,000 sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 255,330 sq. km | 253,500 sq. km | 256,500 sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 258,570 sq. km | 257,000 sq. km | 259,500 sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 258,540 sq. km | 256,000 sq. km | 260,000 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 257,173 sq. km | 255,500 sq. km | 268,870 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 318,493 sq. km | 284,290 sq. km | 338,369 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 343,871 sq. km | 338,775 sq. km | 350,957 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More agriculture & rural data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0893 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 72.04 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0007 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5489 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.9% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.9% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Agricultural land in Democratic Republic of Congo was 350,957 sq. km 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 350,957 sq. km in 2023.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 250,500 sq. km in 1961.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for agricultural land?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 37th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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 (sq. km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Agricultural land refers to the 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.