Agricultural land in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Agricultural land was 30,069 sq. km in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in Sri Lanka, 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
Sri Lanka recorded 30,069 sq. km for agricultural land in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.9% on the previous year and up 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Sri Lanka peaked at 30,069 sq. km in 2023 and was at its lowest, 17,070 sq. km, in 1962.
That places Sri Lanka 103rd out of 209 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 17,230 sq. km | — |
| 1962 | 17,070 sq. km | -0.9% |
| 1963 | 20,600 sq. km | +20.7% |
| 1964 | 21,030 sq. km | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 21,560 sq. km | +2.5% |
| 1966 | 22,050 sq. km | +2.3% |
| 1967 | 22,550 sq. km | +2.3% |
| 1968 | 23,210 sq. km | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 23,280 sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 23,330 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 23,390 sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 23,450 sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 23,510 sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 23,570 sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 23,590 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 23,960 sq. km | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 24,330 sq. km | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 24,690 sq. km | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 23,590 sq. km | -4.5% |
| 1980 | 23,490 sq. km | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 23,490 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 22,960 sq. km | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 23,080 sq. km | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 23,110 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 23,150 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 23,260 sq. km | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 23,340 sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 23,370 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 23,400 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 23,390 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 23,420 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 23,440 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 23,200 sq. km | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 23,230 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 23,260 sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 23,270 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 23,280 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 23,290 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 23,450 sq. km | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 23,500 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 23,510 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 23,560 sq. km | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 23,859 sq. km | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 22,884 sq. km | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 24,925 sq. km | +8.9% |
| 2006 | 24,302 sq. km | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 23,824 sq. km | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 25,976 sq. km | +9.0% |
| 2009 | 26,096 sq. km | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 26,200 sq. km | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 27,300 sq. km | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 27,400 sq. km | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 27,400 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 27,400 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 27,400 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 27,500 sq. km | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 27,602 sq. km | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 28,116 sq. km | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 28,116 sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 28,120 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 28,120 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 28,120 sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 30,069 sq. km | +6.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20,953 sq. km | 17,070 sq. km | 23,280 sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 23,741 sq. km | 23,330 sq. km | 24,690 sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 23,265 sq. km | 22,960 sq. km | 23,490 sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 23,323 sq. km | 23,200 sq. km | 23,450 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 24,244 sq. km | 22,884 sq. km | 26,096 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 27,443 sq. km | 26,200 sq. km | 28,116 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 28,607 sq. km | 28,120 sq. km | 30,069 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0836 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 418.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9172 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7955 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 8.36 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 8.36 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Sri Lanka?
- Agricultural land in Sri Lanka was 30,069 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 30,069 sq. km in 2023.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,070 sq. km in 1962.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for agricultural land?
- Sri Lanka ranks 103rd out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.