Arable land in New Zealand
New Zealand: Arable land was 0.1 hectares per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.1 hectares per person
Change on year
down 4.7%
World rank
108th
of 206 countries
All-time high
0.1575 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.0953 hectares per person
in 2006
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land in New Zealand, 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 New Zealand stood at 0.1 hectares per person.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.7% on the previous year and down 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in New Zealand peaked at 0.1575 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.0953 hectares per person, in 2006.
That places New Zealand 108th 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 New Zealand, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.1575 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.1535 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1963 | 0.1501 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1964 | 0.147 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1965 | 0.1446 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 1966 | 0.142 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 1967 | 0.1388 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1968 | 0.1376 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 0.1363 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 0.1338 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 0.1318 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 0.1294 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 1973 | 0.1255 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1974 | 0.1215 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1975 | 0.1244 hectares per person | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 0.1284 hectares per person | +3.3% |
| 1977 | 0.1286 hectares per person | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 0.1291 hectares per person | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 0.1351 hectares per person | +4.7% |
| 1980 | 0.1285 hectares per person | -4.9% |
| 1981 | 0.133 hectares per person | +3.5% |
| 1982 | 0.1388 hectares per person | +4.4% |
| 1983 | 0.1396 hectares per person | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 0.1413 hectares per person | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 0.1444 hectares per person | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 0.1432 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 0.1283 hectares per person | -10.5% |
| 1988 | 0.1139 hectares per person | -11.2% |
| 1989 | 0.1147 hectares per person | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 0.1141 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 0.109 hectares per person | -4.5% |
| 1992 | 0.1096 hectares per person | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 0.1094 hectares per person | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 0.1081 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 0.1073 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 0.1063 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 0.1051 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 0.1049 hectares per person | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 0.1051 hectares per person | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 0.1047 hectares per person | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 0.1035 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 0.1017 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 0.103 hectares per person | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 0.1028 hectares per person | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 0.1028 hectares per person | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 0.0953 hectares per person | -7.3% |
| 2007 | 0.102 hectares per person | +7.0% |
| 2008 | 0.1063 hectares per person | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 0.1095 hectares per person | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 0.1147 hectares per person | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 0.1074 hectares per person | -6.3% |
| 2012 | 0.1155 hectares per person | +7.5% |
| 2013 | 0.1231 hectares per person | +6.6% |
| 2014 | 0.1306 hectares per person | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 0.1037 hectares per person | -20.6% |
| 2016 | 0.1148 hectares per person | +10.7% |
| 2017 | 0.102 hectares per person | -11.1% |
| 2018 | 0.1058 hectares per person | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 0.1099 hectares per person | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 0.1039 hectares per person | -5.4% |
| 2021 | 0.1211 hectares per person | +16.6% |
| 2022 | 0.1049 hectares per person | -13.4% |
| 2023 | 0.1 hectares per person | -4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1453 hectares per person | 0.1363 hectares per person | 0.1575 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.1288 hectares per person | 0.1215 hectares per person | 0.1351 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1326 hectares per person | 0.1139 hectares per person | 0.1444 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1079 hectares per person | 0.1049 hectares per person | 0.1141 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1032 hectares per person | 0.0953 hectares per person | 0.1095 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1127 hectares per person | 0.102 hectares per person | 0.1306 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1075 hectares per person | 0.1 hectares per person | 0.1211 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 105 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.1069 hectares per person compare
- 106 Botswana 0.1048 hectares per person compare
- 107 Saudi Arabia 0.1018 hectares per person compare
- 109 Burundi 0.0965 hectares per person compare
- 110 Madagascar 0.0962 hectares per person compare
- 111 Cape Verde 0.0957 hectares per person compare
More agriculture & rural data for New Zealand
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -10.07 % change on previous year (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0401 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,976 current US$ per person (2023)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.275 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.16 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.0% (2023)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in New Zealand?
- Arable land in New Zealand was 0.1 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1575 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0953 hectares per person in 2006.
- How does New Zealand rank for arable land?
- New Zealand ranks 108th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.