Arable land in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Arable land was 0.2243 hectares per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.2243 hectares per person
Change on year
down 1.7%
Rank
12th
of 45 groups
All-time high
0.634 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.2243 hectares per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land in Africa Western and Central, 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
Africa Western and Central recorded 0.2243 hectares per person for arable land in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Africa Western and Central peaked at 0.634 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.2243 hectares per person, in 2023.
That places Africa Western and Central 12th out of 45 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.634 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.623 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 1963 | 0.613 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 1964 | 0.602 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 1965 | 0.592 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 1966 | 0.5813 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 1967 | 0.572 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 1968 | 0.5686 hectares per person | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 0.5562 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1970 | 0.5366 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1971 | 0.5265 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 0.5151 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 0.5017 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 0.4841 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1975 | 0.4751 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 0.4667 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 1977 | 0.455 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1978 | 0.4451 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1979 | 0.437 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 0.428 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1981 | 0.4148 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 1982 | 0.4062 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 0.3975 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 0.3905 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 1985 | 0.3828 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 0.3743 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 0.3649 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 0.3579 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 0.3504 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 0.3502 hectares per person | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.3514 hectares per person | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 0.3531 hectares per person | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 0.3502 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 0.3472 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 0.3521 hectares per person | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 0.351 hectares per person | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 0.3442 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 0.3383 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 0.3364 hectares per person | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 0.328 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 0.3225 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 0.3166 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 0.3137 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 0.3034 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 0.2988 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 0.291 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 0.2858 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 0.2823 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 0.279 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 0.2733 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 0.2678 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 0.265 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 0.2641 hectares per person | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 0.2593 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 0.2556 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 0.2518 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 0.248 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 0.2448 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 0.2411 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 0.2359 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 0.2323 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.2282 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 0.2243 hectares per person | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.5936 hectares per person | 0.5562 hectares per person | 0.634 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.4843 hectares per person | 0.437 hectares per person | 0.5366 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3867 hectares per person | 0.3504 hectares per person | 0.428 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3474 hectares per person | 0.3364 hectares per person | 0.3531 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3021 hectares per person | 0.279 hectares per person | 0.328 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2571 hectares per person | 0.2411 hectares per person | 0.2733 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2302 hectares per person | 0.2243 hectares per person | 0.2359 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
- 9 Latvia 0.722 hectares per person compare
- 10 Niger 0.6766 hectares per person compare
- 11 Paraguay 0.6664 hectares per person compare
- 12 Uruguay 0.6492 hectares per person compare
- 13 Belarus 0.6066 hectares per person compare
- 14 Bulgaria 0.5408 hectares per person compare
- 15 Estonia 0.5189 hectares per person compare
More agriculture & rural data for Africa Western and Central
- Rural population, per capita 0.4652 units per person (2025)
- Rural population 247.88 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.0% (2025)
- Rural population 46.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 4.2% (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 350.89 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 11.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2193 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 186.96 billion current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Africa Western and Central?
- Arable land in Africa Western and Central was 0.2243 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 Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 0.634 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2243 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for arable land?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 12th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central 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.
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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.