Agricultural land in North Korea
North Korea: Agricultural land was 25,953 sq. km in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in North Korea, 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
North Korea recorded 25,953 sq. km for agricultural land in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in North Korea peaked at 26,733 sq. km in 2010 and was at its lowest, 22,251 sq. km, in 1961.
North Korea ranks 109th of 209 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 North Korea, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 22,251 sq. km | — |
| 1962 | 22,258 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 22,261 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 22,261 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 22,271 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 22,284 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 22,289 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 22,294 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 22,295 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 22,320 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 22,475 sq. km | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 22,455 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 23,010 sq. km | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 23,053 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 23,218 sq. km | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 23,268 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 23,316 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 23,346 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 23,370 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 24,372 sq. km | +4.3% |
| 1981 | 24,491 sq. km | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 24,584 sq. km | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 24,701 sq. km | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 24,830 sq. km | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 24,970 sq. km | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 24,973 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 24,981 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 24,982 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 24,986 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 25,045 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 25,257 sq. km | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 25,280 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 25,186 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 26,314 sq. km | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 26,208 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 25,242 sq. km | -3.7% |
| 1997 | 25,247 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 25,251 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 25,266 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 25,292 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 25,324 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 25,336 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 25,343 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 25,389 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 25,905 sq. km | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 25,945 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 25,966 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 26,563 sq. km | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 26,662 sq. km | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 26,733 sq. km | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 26,321 sq. km | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 26,313 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 26,313 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 26,291 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 26,306 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 26,030 sq. km | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 25,970 sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 25,980 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 25,950 sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 25,965 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 25,960 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 25,952 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 25,953 sq. km | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 22,274 sq. km | 22,251 sq. km | 22,295 sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 22,983 sq. km | 22,320 sq. km | 23,370 sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 24,787 sq. km | 24,372 sq. km | 24,986 sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 25,430 sq. km | 25,045 sq. km | 26,314 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 25,772 sq. km | 25,292 sq. km | 26,662 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 26,221 sq. km | 25,950 sq. km | 26,733 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 25,958 sq. km | 25,952 sq. km | 25,965 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More agriculture & rural data for North Korea
- Rural population, per capita 0.3581 units per person (2025)
- Rural population 35.8% (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.6% (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6454 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population 9.52 million (2025)
- Land under cereal production 1.35 million hectares (2024)
- Milk per animal 2,342 kilograms per animal (2024)
- Cereal production 4.89 million metric tons (2024)
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture 685,700 metric tons (2024)
- Cereal yield 3,610 kg per hectare (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in North Korea?
- Agricultural land in North Korea was 25,953 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 North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 26,733 sq. km in 2010.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 22,251 sq. km in 1961.
- How does North Korea rank for agricultural land?
- North Korea ranks 109th out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea 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.