Arable land in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Arable land was 0.0327 hectares per person in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.0327 hectares per person
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
156th
of 206 countries
All-time high
0.2068 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.0327 hectares per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land in Costa Rica, 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
The most recent figure for arable land in Costa Rica is 0.0327 hectares per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 33.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Costa Rica peaked at 0.2068 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.0327 hectares per person, in 2023.
Costa Rica ranks 156th of 206 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Arable land in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.2068 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.1994 hectares per person | -3.6% |
| 1963 | 0.1924 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1964 | 0.1858 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1965 | 0.1797 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1966 | 0.174 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1967 | 0.1687 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1968 | 0.1638 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1969 | 0.1593 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1970 | 0.155 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1971 | 0.1509 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 0.147 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1973 | 0.1423 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1974 | 0.1388 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1975 | 0.1352 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1976 | 0.1318 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 0.1283 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 0.125 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1979 | 0.1216 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 0.1184 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1981 | 0.1152 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1982 | 0.1121 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 0.109 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1984 | 0.1061 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1985 | 0.1039 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 0.1012 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1987 | 0.0985 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 0.0943 hectares per person | -4.3% |
| 1989 | 0.0854 hectares per person | -9.5% |
| 1990 | 0.0833 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1991 | 0.0812 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 0.0761 hectares per person | -6.2% |
| 1993 | 0.0683 hectares per person | -10.3% |
| 1994 | 0.0666 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 0.0622 hectares per person | -6.6% |
| 1996 | 0.058 hectares per person | -6.8% |
| 1997 | 0.0567 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 0.0555 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 0.057 hectares per person | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 0.0533 hectares per person | -6.4% |
| 2001 | 0.0524 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 0.0491 hectares per person | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 0.0507 hectares per person | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 0.05 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 0.0493 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 0.0486 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 0.0457 hectares per person | -6.0% |
| 2008 | 0.045 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 0.0489 hectares per person | +8.5% |
| 2010 | 0.0494 hectares per person | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 0.0503 hectares per person | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 0.0497 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 0.0492 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 0.0487 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 0.0459 hectares per person | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 0.0432 hectares per person | -5.8% |
| 2017 | 0.0406 hectares per person | -6.0% |
| 2018 | 0.0381 hectares per person | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 0.0356 hectares per person | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 0.0332 hectares per person | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 0.033 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 0.0329 hectares per person | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 0.0327 hectares per person | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1811 hectares per person | 0.1593 hectares per person | 0.2068 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.1376 hectares per person | 0.1216 hectares per person | 0.155 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1044 hectares per person | 0.0854 hectares per person | 0.1184 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0665 hectares per person | 0.0555 hectares per person | 0.0833 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0493 hectares per person | 0.045 hectares per person | 0.0533 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0451 hectares per person | 0.0356 hectares per person | 0.0503 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.033 hectares per person | 0.0327 hectares per person | 0.0332 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 153 Liechtenstein 0.0434 hectares per person compare
- 154 Antigua and Barbuda 0.0429 hectares per person compare
- 155 Jamaica 0.0423 hectares per person compare
- 157 Japan 0.0325 hectares per person compare
- 158 Papua New Guinea 0.0318 hectares per person compare
- 159 Yemen 0.0294 hectares per person compare
More agriculture & rural data for Costa Rica
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0337 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 672.15 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2027 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 3.37 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 3.37 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Costa Rica?
- Arable land in Costa Rica was 0.0327 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2068 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0327 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does Costa Rica rank for arable land?
- Costa Rica ranks 156th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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.