Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade in Iraq
Iraq: Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade was 6.7% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Is agricultural land expanding? Change over the prior decade in Iraq, 1971–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 6.7% for is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in 2023.
The figure is down 35.6% on the previous year and up 188.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in Iraq peaked at 20.5% in 2019 and was at its lowest, -12.0%, in 2003.
That places Iraq 30th out of 225 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
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 Iraq, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 2.3% | — |
| 1972 | 3.4% | +52.3% |
| 1973 | 2.9% | -15.3% |
| 1974 | 4.7% | +60.4% |
| 1975 | 4.1% | -12.6% |
| 1976 | 4.0% | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 3.4% | -15.8% |
| 1978 | 4.5% | +32.4% |
| 1979 | 5.0% | +11.1% |
| 1980 | 5.0% | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 4.9% | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 3.2% | -35.2% |
| 1983 | 3.1% | -3.6% |
| 1984 | 1.8% | -40.0% |
| 1985 | 1.9% | +5.8% |
| 1986 | 2.1% | +9.8% |
| 1987 | 2.0% | -8.3% |
| 1988 | 1.3% | -33.7% |
| 1989 | -2.2% | -270.0% |
| 1990 | -2.1% | -3.1% |
| 1991 | 2.0% | -194.0% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | -51.4% |
| 1993 | 4.5% | +359.5% |
| 1994 | -1.3% | -129.9% |
| 1995 | -4.2% | +215.5% |
| 1996 | -4.3% | +3.0% |
| 1997 | -8.6% | +98.9% |
| 1998 | -9.2% | +6.0% |
| 1999 | -8.1% | -11.2% |
| 2000 | -8.0% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | -11.9% | +47.5% |
| 2002 | -9.0% | -24.2% |
| 2003 | -12.0% | +33.8% |
| 2004 | -7.4% | -38.1% |
| 2005 | -3.2% | -57.0% |
| 2006 | -1.0% | -68.3% |
| 2007 | 5.6% | -654.9% |
| 2008 | -5.1% | -190.1% |
| 2009 | -7.5% | +47.6% |
| 2010 | -3.3% | -56.5% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | -114.6% |
| 2012 | -1.3% | -382.0% |
| 2013 | 2.3% | -272.8% |
| 2014 | 8.2% | +253.8% |
| 2015 | 5.7% | -30.3% |
| 2016 | 3.8% | -32.6% |
| 2017 | 2.2% | -41.4% |
| 2018 | 14.4% | +539.6% |
| 2019 | 20.5% | +42.4% |
| 2020 | 15.0% | -26.6% |
| 2021 | 11.2% | -25.3% |
| 2022 | 10.3% | -7.8% |
| 2023 | 6.7% | -35.6% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 6.7% 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 Iraq 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +654.9% | -1.0% | 5.6% |
| 2018 | +539.6% | 2.2% | 14.4% |
| 2012 | -382.0% | 0.5% | -1.3% |
| 1993 | +359.5% | 1.0% | 4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.8% | 2.3% | 5.0% | 9 |
| 1980s | 2.3% | -2.2% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | -3.1% | -9.2% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | -6.0% | -12.0% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | -3.3% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.8% | 6.7% | 15.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More agriculture & rural data for Iraq
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -8.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0341 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 184.67 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.94 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3006 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2016)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.1% (2014)
Frequently asked questions
- What is is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in Iraq?
- Is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade in Iraq was 6.7% 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 2019.
- What is the lowest is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was -12.0% in 2003.
- How does Iraq rank for is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade?
- Iraq ranks 30th out of 225 countries with data for 2023.
- Is is agricultural land expanding? change over the prior decade rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 188.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq 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.