Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade was 0.5% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade in Afghanistan, 1971–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in Afghanistan stood at 0.5%.
The figure is down 48.4% on the previous year and up 691.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in Afghanistan peaked at 1.1% in 2022 and was at its lowest, -0.8%, in 1996.
Afghanistan ranks 71st of 225 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 0.8% | — |
| 1972 | 0.7% | -13.4% |
| 1973 | 0.5% | -19.8% |
| 1974 | 0.4% | -27.2% |
| 1975 | 0.4% | -3.5% |
| 1976 | 0.3% | -32.4% |
| 1977 | 0.2% | -25.3% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 0.1% | -24.3% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | -18.9% |
| 1981 | 0.0% | -60.5% |
| 1982 | 0.0% | -64.7% |
| 1983 | 0.0% | -20.0% |
| 1984 | 0.0% | -22.9% |
| 1985 | 0.0% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.0% | +8.1% |
| 1987 | -0.0% | -225.0% |
| 1988 | -0.0% | +100.0% |
| 1989 | -0.0% | -10.0% |
| 1990 | -0.0% | -0.0% |
| 1991 | -0.1% | +155.5% |
| 1992 | -0.1% | +4.3% |
| 1993 | -0.3% | +400.0% |
| 1994 | -0.6% | +100.8% |
| 1995 | -0.8% | +20.7% |
| 1996 | -0.8% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | -0.7% | -15.8% |
| 1998 | -0.5% | -31.2% |
| 1999 | -0.7% | +60.5% |
| 2000 | -0.6% | -10.9% |
| 2001 | -0.6% | -4.4% |
| 2002 | -0.6% | +2.1% |
| 2003 | -0.1% | -79.1% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | -330.7% |
| 2005 | 0.4% | +34.1% |
| 2006 | 0.4% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 0.3% | -22.3% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -59.7% |
| 2009 | 0.4% | +217.5% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | -19.1% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | -79.1% |
| 2014 | -0.0% | -169.2% |
| 2015 | -0.0% | -61.1% |
| 2016 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 2017 | -0.0% | — |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -2449.9% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | +321.3% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 0.5% | -48.4% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 0.5% is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.6%, 90% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 0.5% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -0.0%. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade in Afghanistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +2449.9% | -0.0% | 0.2% |
| 1993 | -400.0% | -0.1% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | +330.7% | -0.1% | 0.3% |
| 2020 | +321.3% | 0.2% | 1.0% |
| 1987 | -225.0% | 0.0% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | +217.5% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.8% | 9 |
| 1980s | 0.0% | -0.0% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.4% | -0.8% | -0.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.0% | -0.6% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | -0.0% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.5% | 1.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More agriculture & rural data for Afghanistan
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.1522 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0005 hectares per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.1847 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.2358 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0022 hectares per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.8814 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3429 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 142.96 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.47 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in Afghanistan?
- Is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in Afghanistan was 0.5% 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 is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 2022.
- What is the lowest is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.8% in 1996.
- How does Afghanistan rank for is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade?
- Afghanistan ranks 71st out of 225 countries with data for 2023.
- Is is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 691.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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 Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage change in surface area devoted to agriculture with respect to 10 years before. Negative values imply that surface area has decreased with respect to the previous decade. This data is used to assess which countries may have already peaked in their agricultural land use.