Arable land in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Arable land was 0.1675 hectares per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.1675 hectares per person
Change on year
down 2.1%
Rank
23rd
of 45 groups
All-time high
0.463 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.1675 hectares per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land in Africa Eastern and Southern, 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 hectares per person.
Analysis
In 2023, arable land in Africa Eastern and Southern stood at 0.1675 hectares per person. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.1% on the previous year and down 18.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 0.463 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.1675 hectares per person, in 2023.
That places Africa Eastern and Southern 23rd out of 45 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.463 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.4524 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1963 | 0.4534 hectares per person | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 0.447 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 1965 | 0.4376 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1966 | 0.4268 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1967 | 0.4161 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1968 | 0.4073 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1969 | 0.4001 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 1970 | 0.3973 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 1971 | 0.3894 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 0.381 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 0.3722 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 0.3632 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 1975 | 0.3567 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 1976 | 0.3471 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1977 | 0.3379 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 0.3341 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 0.3209 hectares per person | -3.9% |
| 1980 | 0.3103 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1981 | 0.303 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 0.2961 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 0.29 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 0.2833 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 0.2851 hectares per person | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 0.2797 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 0.2718 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1988 | 0.2664 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1989 | 0.2631 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 0.256 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 0.2506 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1992 | 0.2447 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 0.2308 hectares per person | -5.7% |
| 1994 | 0.2261 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 0.2213 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1996 | 0.215 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 0.2102 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 0.2048 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 0.2017 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 0.1979 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 0.1932 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 0.1902 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 0.1901 hectares per person | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 0.1905 hectares per person | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 0.189 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 0.1868 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 0.1852 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 0.1836 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 0.1852 hectares per person | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 0.1847 hectares per person | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 0.1859 hectares per person | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 0.2091 hectares per person | +12.5% |
| 2013 | 0.2048 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 0.2013 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 0.197 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 0.194 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 0.1906 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 0.1876 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 0.1828 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 0.1786 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 0.1743 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 0.171 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 0.1675 hectares per person | -2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.4337 hectares per person | 0.4001 hectares per person | 0.463 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.36 hectares per person | 0.3209 hectares per person | 0.3973 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2849 hectares per person | 0.2631 hectares per person | 0.3103 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2261 hectares per person | 0.2017 hectares per person | 0.256 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1892 hectares per person | 0.1836 hectares per person | 0.1979 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1938 hectares per person | 0.1828 hectares per person | 0.2091 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1729 hectares per person | 0.1675 hectares per person | 0.1786 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
- 20 Sudan 0.4195 hectares per person compare
- 21 Guinea 0.4165 hectares per person compare
- 22 Finland 0.4019 hectares per person compare
- 23 Denmark 0.3977 hectares per person compare
- 24 Serbia 0.393 hectares per person compare
- 25 Mali 0.3509 hectares per person compare
- 26 Central African Republic 0.3493 hectares per person compare
More agriculture & rural data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Rural population, per capita 0.613 units per person (2025)
- Rural population 483.55 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.8% (2025)
- Rural population 61.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 265.55 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1542 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 209.47 billion current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Arable land in Africa Eastern and Southern was 0.1675 hectares per person 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 arable land recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 0.463 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1675 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for arable land?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 23rd out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern 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 Arable land (hectares per person). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Arable land (hectares per person) 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.