Agricultural land use in India
India: Agricultural land use was 178.57 million hectares in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
178.57 million hectares
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
8th
of 227 countries
All-time high
181.59 million hectares
in 1991
All-time low
174.95 million hectares
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Agricultural land use in India, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, agricultural land use in India stood at 178.57 million hectares.
The figure is down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land use in India peaked at 181.59 million hectares in 1991 and was at its lowest, 174.95 million hectares, in 1961.
That places India 8th out of 227 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Agricultural land use in India, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 174.95 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 176.48 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 176.15 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 176.71 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 177.18 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 177.53 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 177.81 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 178.36 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 177.79 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 178.05 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 177.82 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 177.95 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 178.75 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 179.28 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 179.69 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 179.65 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 179.59 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 180.59 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 180.58 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 180.27 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 180.40 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 180.77 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 180.46 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 181.45 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 181.34 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 181.19 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 181.54 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 181.09 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 181.50 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 181.41 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 181.59 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 181.31 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 181.38 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 181.29 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 180.94 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 180.59 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 180.98 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 180.87 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 181.02 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 180.97 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 180.49 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 180.56 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 180.25 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 180.38 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 180.13 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 179.91 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 179.62 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 179.76 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 180.07 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 179.57 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 179.67 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 179.64 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 179.70 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 179.73 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 179.68 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 179.58 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 179.24 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 179.12 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 179.04 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 178.53 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 178.54 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 178.56 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 178.57 million hectares | +0.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 178.57 million hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9.40 million hectares, 19.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 178.57 million hectares is above the median for South Asia, which is 3.38 million hectares, 52.9× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 177.00 million hectares | 174.95 million hectares | 178.36 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 179.20 million hectares | 177.82 million hectares | 180.59 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 181.00 million hectares | 180.27 million hectares | 181.54 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 181.14 million hectares | 180.59 million hectares | 181.59 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 180.21 million hectares | 179.62 million hectares | 180.97 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 179.50 million hectares | 179.04 million hectares | 179.73 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 178.55 million hectares | 178.53 million hectares | 178.57 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
More agriculture & rural data for India
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -2.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1623 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 438.73 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4067 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6431 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land use in India?
- Agricultural land use in India was 178.57 million hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest agricultural land use recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 181.59 million hectares in 1991.
- What is the lowest agricultural land use recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 174.95 million hectares in 1961.
- How does India rank for agricultural land use?
- India ranks 8th out of 227 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land use rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Agricultural land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Land used for cultivation of crops and animal husbandry. The total of areas under cropland and permanent meadows and pastures.