Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in China
China: Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre was 11.55 hectares per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
11.55 hectares per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
88th
of 206 countries
All-time high
13.3 hectares per square kilometre
in 1991
All-time low
10.24 hectares per square kilometre
in 1980
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in China, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in China stood at 11.55 hectares per square kilometre.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in China peaked at 13.3 hectares per square kilometre in 1991 and was at its lowest, 10.24 hectares per square kilometre, in 1980.
That places China 88th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in China, year by year
| Year | hectares per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 10.93 hectares per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 10.9 hectares per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1963 | 10.88 hectares per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 10.85 hectares per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 10.83 hectares per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 10.78 hectares per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 10.73 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 10.68 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 10.63 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 10.57 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 10.53 hectares per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 10.48 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 10.43 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 10.49 hectares per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 10.33 hectares per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 10.31 hectares per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 10.29 hectares per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 10.27 hectares per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 10.26 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 10.24 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 10.31 hectares per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 10.83 hectares per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 1983 | 11.43 hectares per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1984 | 12.14 hectares per square kilometre | +6.2% |
| 1985 | 12.79 hectares per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1986 | 12.84 hectares per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 12.8 hectares per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 12.88 hectares per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 13.02 hectares per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 13.19 hectares per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 13.3 hectares per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 13.09 hectares per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 12.92 hectares per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 12.86 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 12.74 hectares per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 12.71 hectares per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 12.68 hectares per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 12.68 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 12.68 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 12.68 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 12.74 hectares per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 12.79 hectares per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 12.81 hectares per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 12.83 hectares per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 12.85 hectares per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 12.89 hectares per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 12.88 hectares per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 12.91 hectares per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 12.93 hectares per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 12.8 hectares per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 12.64 hectares per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 12.5 hectares per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 12.4 hectares per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 12.31 hectares per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 12.24 hectares per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 12.08 hectares per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 11.89 hectares per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 11.77 hectares per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 11.6 hectares per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 11.59 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 11.61 hectares per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 11.56 hectares per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 11.55 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 11.55 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 9.89 hectares per square kilometre, 1.2× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 11.55 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.35 hectares per square kilometre, 3.4× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.8 hectares per square kilometre | 10.63 hectares per square kilometre | 10.93 hectares per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 10.4 hectares per square kilometre | 10.26 hectares per square kilometre | 10.57 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.93 hectares per square kilometre | 10.24 hectares per square kilometre | 13.02 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.88 hectares per square kilometre | 12.68 hectares per square kilometre | 13.3 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.83 hectares per square kilometre | 12.68 hectares per square kilometre | 12.93 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.22 hectares per square kilometre | 11.6 hectares per square kilometre | 12.8 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.58 hectares per square kilometre | 11.55 hectares per square kilometre | 11.61 hectares per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 85 Cape Verde 12.41 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 86 Afghanistan 12.03 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 87 Lesotho 11.75 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 89 Paraguay 11.52 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 90 Iraq 11.45 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 91 Kenya 11.42 hectares per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in China?
- Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in China was 11.55 hectares per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest arable land (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 13.3 hectares per square kilometre in 1991.
- What is the lowest arable land (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.24 hectares per square kilometre in 1980.
- How does China rank for arable land (hectares), per square kilometre?
- China ranks 88th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land (hectares), per square kilometre rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Arable land (hectares) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Arable land (hectares) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Arable land 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)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Arable land (hectares) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.