Agricultural land use, per square kilometre in China
China: Agricultural land use, per square kilometre was 55.43 hectares per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
55.43 hectares per square kilometre
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
47th
of 209 countries
All-time high
56.26 hectares per square kilometre
in 2009
All-time low
36.47 hectares per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Agricultural land use, per square kilometre in China, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per square kilometre.
Analysis
China recorded 55.43 hectares per square kilometre for agricultural land use, per square kilometre in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land use, per square kilometre in China peaked at 56.26 hectares per square kilometre in 2009 and was at its lowest, 36.47 hectares per square kilometre, in 1961.
China ranks 47th of 209 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Agricultural land use, per square kilometre in China, year by year
| Year | hectares per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 36.47 hectares per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 36.76 hectares per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 37.06 hectares per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 37.37 hectares per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 37.77 hectares per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 38.15 hectares per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1967 | 38.54 hectares per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 38.92 hectares per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 39.41 hectares per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 39.9 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 40.4 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 40.89 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 41.49 hectares per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 42.19 hectares per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 42.68 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 43.31 hectares per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 43.94 hectares per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 44.57 hectares per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 45.06 hectares per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 45.55 hectares per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 46.11 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 47.14 hectares per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 48.24 hectares per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 49.48 hectares per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 50.74 hectares per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 51.39 hectares per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 51.95 hectares per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 52.55 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 53.2 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 53.86 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 54.47 hectares per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 54.78 hectares per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 55.2 hectares per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 55.69 hectares per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 55.69 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 55.69 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 55.69 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 55.69 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 55.69 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 55.69 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 55.76 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 55.82 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 55.88 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 55.95 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 56.01 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 56.07 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 56.14 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 56.2 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 56.26 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 56.18 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 56.1 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 56.02 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 55.94 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 55.86 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 55.78 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 55.7 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 55.62 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 55.54 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 55.46 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 55.45 hectares per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 55.44 hectares per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 55.43 hectares per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 55.43 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 37.83 hectares per square kilometre | 36.47 hectares per square kilometre | 39.41 hectares per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 42.44 hectares per square kilometre | 39.9 hectares per square kilometre | 45.06 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.64 hectares per square kilometre | 45.55 hectares per square kilometre | 53.2 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.25 hectares per square kilometre | 53.86 hectares per square kilometre | 55.69 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.98 hectares per square kilometre | 55.69 hectares per square kilometre | 56.26 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.82 hectares per square kilometre | 55.46 hectares per square kilometre | 56.18 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.44 hectares per square kilometre | 55.43 hectares per square kilometre | 55.45 hectares per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 44 Azerbaijan 57.83 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 45 El Salvador 57.71 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 46 Hungary 55.7 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 48 Ghana 55.39 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 49 Dominican Republic 55.35 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 50 Romania 55.26 hectares per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land use, per square kilometre in China?
- Agricultural land use, per square kilometre in China was 55.43 hectares per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest agricultural land use, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 56.26 hectares per square kilometre in 2009.
- What is the lowest agricultural land use, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.47 hectares per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does China rank for agricultural land use, per square kilometre?
- China ranks 47th out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land use, per square kilometre rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Agricultural land use, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Agricultural land use divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Agricultural land use ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Agricultural land use Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Agricultural land use divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.