Agricultural land in Malta
Malta: Agricultural land was 82.91 sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in Malta, 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
In 2023, agricultural land in Malta stood at 82.91 sq. km. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and down 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Malta peaked at 180 sq. km in 1961 and was at its lowest, 82.91 sq. km, in 2023.
Malta ranks 187th of 210 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Malta, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 180 sq. km | — |
| 1962 | 170 sq. km | -5.6% |
| 1963 | 160 sq. km | -5.9% |
| 1964 | 150 sq. km | -6.2% |
| 1965 | 140 sq. km | -6.7% |
| 1966 | 140 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 140 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 140 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 140 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 140 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 140 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 140 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 140 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 140 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 130 sq. km | -7.1% |
| 1976 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 140 sq. km | +7.7% |
| 1978 | 140 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 140 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 130 sq. km | -7.1% |
| 1981 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 130 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 110 sq. km | -15.4% |
| 1996 | 110 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 100 sq. km | -9.1% |
| 1998 | 90 sq. km | -10.0% |
| 1999 | 90 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 90 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 100 sq. km | +11.1% |
| 2002 | 100 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 104 sq. km | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 100 sq. km | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 93 sq. km | -7.0% |
| 2006 | 93 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 93 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 93 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 93 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 103.3 sq. km | +11.1% |
| 2011 | 103.3 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 103 sq. km | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 102.3 sq. km | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 102.3 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 102.3 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 103.8 sq. km | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 103.8 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 103.8 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 103.8 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 91.1 sq. km | -12.2% |
| 2021 | 87.5 sq. km | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 87.5 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 82.91 sq. km | -5.2% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 82.91 sq. km is below the median for high income countries, which is 9,820 sq. km, 1% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Malta's 82.91 sq. km is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 40,580 sq. km, 0% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 151.11 sq. km | 140 sq. km | 180 sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 138 sq. km | 130 sq. km | 140 sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 130 sq. km | 130 sq. km | 130 sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 115 sq. km | 90 sq. km | 130 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 95.9 sq. km | 90 sq. km | 104 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 103.17 sq. km | 102.3 sq. km | 103.8 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 87.25 sq. km | 82.91 sq. km | 91.1 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malta
- 184 Saint Lucia 99.4 sq. km compare
- 185 Antigua and Barbuda 90 sq. km compare
- 186 Channel Islands 85.7 sq. km compare
- 188 Bahrain 81 sq. km compare
- 189 Grenada 80 sq. km compare
- 190 British Virgin Islands 70 sq. km compare
- 190 Marshall Islands 70 sq. km compare
- 190 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 70 sq. km compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malta
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0047 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 224.75 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0432 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.2% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Malta?
- Agricultural land in Malta was 82.91 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 Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 180 sq. km in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.91 sq. km in 2023.
- How does Malta rank for agricultural land?
- Malta ranks 187th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malta 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.
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 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.