Agricultural land in World
World: Agricultural land was 47.92 million sq. km in 2023. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land in World, 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
World recorded 47.92 million sq. km for agricultural land in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in World peaked at 48.11 million sq. km in 2012 and was at its lowest, 42.99 million sq. km, in 1961.
That places World 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land in World, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 42.99 million sq. km | — |
| 1962 | 43.06 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 43.16 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 43.24 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 43.34 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 43.43 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 43.53 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 43.87 million sq. km | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 43.92 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 43.87 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 44.02 million sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 44.15 million sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 44.24 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 44.37 million sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 44.48 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 44.48 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 44.53 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 44.71 million sq. km | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 44.80 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 44.94 million sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 45.00 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 45.14 million sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 45.22 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 45.50 million sq. km | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 45.76 million sq. km | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 45.73 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 45.89 million sq. km | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 46.03 million sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 46.13 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 46.23 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 46.28 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 46.32 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 46.69 million sq. km | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 46.90 million sq. km | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 46.88 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 46.95 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 47.14 million sq. km | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 47.27 million sq. km | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 47.30 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 47.34 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 47.34 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 47.25 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 47.04 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 46.63 million sq. km | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 46.69 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 46.70 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 46.61 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 46.50 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 46.47 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 46.50 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 46.74 million sq. km | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 48.11 million sq. km | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 48.02 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 48.03 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 47.84 million sq. km | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 47.79 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 48.10 million sq. km | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 47.98 million sq. km | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 48.01 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 47.99 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 48.07 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 48.03 million sq. km | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 47.92 million sq. km | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 43.39 million sq. km | 42.99 million sq. km | 43.92 million sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 44.36 million sq. km | 43.87 million sq. km | 44.80 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 45.53 million sq. km | 44.94 million sq. km | 46.13 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.80 million sq. km | 46.23 million sq. km | 47.30 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.86 million sq. km | 46.47 million sq. km | 47.34 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.71 million sq. km | 46.50 million sq. km | 48.11 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.00 million sq. km | 47.92 million sq. km | 48.07 million sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near World
More agriculture & rural data for World
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0401 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 577.68 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2984 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4217 units per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2024)
- Rural population 42.2% (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in World?
- Agricultural land in World was 47.92 million 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 48.11 million sq. km in 2012.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.99 million sq. km in 1961.
- How does World rank for agricultural land?
- World ranks 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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
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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.