Arable land in Switzerland
Switzerland: Arable land was 0.0446 hectares per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.0446 hectares per person
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
152nd
of 206 countries
All-time high
0.0729 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.0446 hectares per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land in Switzerland, 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 Switzerland is 0.0446 hectares per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Switzerland peaked at 0.0729 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.0446 hectares per person, in 2023.
That places Switzerland 152nd 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 Switzerland, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.0729 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.0714 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1963 | 0.0681 hectares per person | -4.5% |
| 1964 | 0.0663 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1965 | 0.0645 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1966 | 0.0627 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1967 | 0.0606 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1968 | 0.0593 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1969 | 0.0587 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 0.0576 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 0.0574 hectares per person | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 0.058 hectares per person | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 0.0575 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 0.0576 hectares per person | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 0.0582 hectares per person | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 0.0586 hectares per person | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 0.0589 hectares per person | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 0.0597 hectares per person | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 0.0599 hectares per person | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 0.0602 hectares per person | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 0.0605 hectares per person | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 0.0609 hectares per person | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 0.0615 hectares per person | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 0.0625 hectares per person | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 0.0625 hectares per person | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 0.0621 hectares per person | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 0.0609 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1988 | 0.061 hectares per person | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 0.0615 hectares per person | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 0.06 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 0.0599 hectares per person | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 0.0591 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 0.0591 hectares per person | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0599 hectares per person | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 0.06 hectares per person | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.0594 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 0.0585 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 0.0581 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 0.0574 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 0.0568 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 0.0565 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 0.056 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 0.0554 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 0.0549 hectares per person | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 0.0545 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 0.0543 hectares per person | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 0.0538 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.053 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 0.0523 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 0.0516 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 0.0509 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 0.0504 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 0.0498 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 0.0488 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 0.0481 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 0.0476 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 0.0471 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 0.0468 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 0.0465 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 0.0463 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 0.0454 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 0.0452 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 0.0446 hectares per person | -1.3% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 0.0446 hectares per person is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.0728 hectares per person, 61% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 0.0446 hectares per person is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.2161 hectares per person, 21% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0649 hectares per person | 0.0587 hectares per person | 0.0729 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.0583 hectares per person | 0.0574 hectares per person | 0.0599 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0614 hectares per person | 0.0602 hectares per person | 0.0625 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0591 hectares per person | 0.0574 hectares per person | 0.06 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0547 hectares per person | 0.0523 hectares per person | 0.0568 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0488 hectares per person | 0.0465 hectares per person | 0.0516 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0454 hectares per person | 0.0446 hectares per person | 0.0463 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
- 149 Colombia 0.0487 hectares per person compare
- 150 Philippines 0.0487 hectares per person compare
- 151 Bangladesh 0.046 hectares per person compare
- 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
More agriculture & rural data for Switzerland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0064 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 739.83 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.8806 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1427 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Switzerland?
- Arable land in Switzerland was 0.0446 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0729 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0446 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does Switzerland rank for arable land?
- Switzerland ranks 152nd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.