Arable land in Kenya
Kenya: Arable land was 0.1198 hectares per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.1198 hectares per person
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
97th
of 206 countries
All-time high
0.4382 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.1198 hectares per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land in Kenya, 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 Kenya is 0.1198 hectares per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 16.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Kenya peaked at 0.4382 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.1198 hectares per person, in 2023.
That places Kenya 97th out of 206 countries 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.4382 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.4217 hectares per person | -3.8% |
| 1963 | 0.4057 hectares per person | -3.8% |
| 1964 | 0.39 hectares per person | -3.9% |
| 1965 | 0.3748 hectares per person | -3.9% |
| 1966 | 0.3602 hectares per person | -3.9% |
| 1967 | 0.3462 hectares per person | -3.9% |
| 1968 | 0.3327 hectares per person | -3.9% |
| 1969 | 0.3199 hectares per person | -3.8% |
| 1970 | 0.3079 hectares per person | -3.8% |
| 1971 | 0.2969 hectares per person | -3.6% |
| 1972 | 0.2867 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1973 | 0.277 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1974 | 0.2678 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1975 | 0.2812 hectares per person | +5.0% |
| 1976 | 0.2723 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1977 | 0.2634 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 0.2545 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1979 | 0.2458 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1980 | 0.2372 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1981 | 0.2289 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1982 | 0.2209 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1983 | 0.2129 hectares per person | -3.6% |
| 1984 | 0.2012 hectares per person | -5.5% |
| 1985 | 0.2382 hectares per person | +18.4% |
| 1986 | 0.2308 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 0.2258 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 0.2286 hectares per person | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 0.2384 hectares per person | +4.3% |
| 1990 | 0.218 hectares per person | -8.6% |
| 1991 | 0.2155 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 0.217 hectares per person | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 0.2015 hectares per person | -7.2% |
| 1994 | 0.2109 hectares per person | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 0.2044 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 0.1708 hectares per person | -16.4% |
| 1997 | 0.1713 hectares per person | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 0.1619 hectares per person | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 0.1714 hectares per person | +5.8% |
| 2000 | 0.1596 hectares per person | -6.9% |
| 2001 | 0.1622 hectares per person | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 0.156 hectares per person | -3.8% |
| 2003 | 0.1529 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 0.1515 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 0.1471 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 0.1439 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 0.1393 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 0.1352 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 0.1361 hectares per person | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 0.1335 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 0.1421 hectares per person | +6.4% |
| 2012 | 0.1456 hectares per person | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 0.1431 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 0.1388 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 0.1351 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 0.1348 hectares per person | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 0.1249 hectares per person | -7.4% |
| 2018 | 0.131 hectares per person | +4.9% |
| 2019 | 0.1295 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 0.127 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 0.1246 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 0.1222 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 0.1198 hectares per person | -2.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 0.1198 hectares per person is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.1272 hectares per person, 94% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 0.1198 hectares per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1581 hectares per person, 76% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3766 hectares per person | 0.3199 hectares per person | 0.4382 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.2753 hectares per person | 0.2458 hectares per person | 0.3079 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2263 hectares per person | 0.2012 hectares per person | 0.2384 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1943 hectares per person | 0.1619 hectares per person | 0.218 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1484 hectares per person | 0.1352 hectares per person | 0.1622 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1358 hectares per person | 0.1249 hectares per person | 0.1456 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1234 hectares per person | 0.1198 hectares per person | 0.127 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More agriculture & rural data for Kenya
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 16.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2316 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 547.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6779 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 12.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Kenya?
- Arable land in Kenya was 0.1198 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4382 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1198 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does Kenya rank for arable land?
- Kenya ranks 97th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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.