Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi
Malawi: Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre was 42.43 hectares per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
42.43 hectares per square kilometre
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
11th
of 206 countries
All-time high
42.43 hectares per square kilometre
in 2021
All-time low
13.79 hectares per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi is 42.43 hectares per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi peaked at 42.43 hectares per square kilometre in 2021 and was at its lowest, 13.79 hectares per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Malawi 11th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi, year by year
| Year | hectares per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 13.79 hectares per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 14.85 hectares per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 1963 | 15.38 hectares per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1964 | 15.91 hectares per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1965 | 18.03 hectares per square kilometre | +13.3% |
| 1966 | 18.56 hectares per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 18.03 hectares per square kilometre | -2.9% |
| 1968 | 19.09 hectares per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 1969 | 19.62 hectares per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1970 | 19.09 hectares per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 1971 | 20.68 hectares per square kilometre | +8.3% |
| 1972 | 21.21 hectares per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 21.74 hectares per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 21.74 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 21.21 hectares per square kilometre | -2.4% |
| 1976 | 21.21 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 21.21 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 21.74 hectares per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 21.74 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 20.15 hectares per square kilometre | -7.3% |
| 1981 | 21.21 hectares per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 1982 | 22.27 hectares per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 21.21 hectares per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 1984 | 21.74 hectares per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 21.74 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 22.8 hectares per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 1987 | 22.8 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 22.8 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 23.33 hectares per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 23.87 hectares per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 24.93 hectares per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 24.4 hectares per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 24.4 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 22.27 hectares per square kilometre | -8.7% |
| 1995 | 24.4 hectares per square kilometre | +9.5% |
| 1996 | 25.46 hectares per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1997 | 25.99 hectares per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 27.58 hectares per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1999 | 28.64 hectares per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2000 | 29.17 hectares per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 30.23 hectares per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 30.23 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 31.82 hectares per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 2004 | 31.82 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 33.94 hectares per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 2006 | 35 hectares per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 35 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 36.59 hectares per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 37.12 hectares per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 37.12 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 37.12 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 37.12 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 37.6 hectares per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 38.19 hectares per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 38.78 hectares per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 39.37 hectares per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 39.96 hectares per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 40.55 hectares per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 41.13 hectares per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 41.73 hectares per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 42.43 hectares per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 42.43 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 42.43 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 42.43 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for low income countries, which is 12.03 hectares per square kilometre, 3.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 42.43 hectares per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.33 hectares per square kilometre, 3.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 17.03 hectares per square kilometre | 13.79 hectares per square kilometre | 19.62 hectares per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 21.16 hectares per square kilometre | 19.09 hectares per square kilometre | 21.74 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.01 hectares per square kilometre | 20.15 hectares per square kilometre | 23.33 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.19 hectares per square kilometre | 22.27 hectares per square kilometre | 28.64 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.09 hectares per square kilometre | 29.17 hectares per square kilometre | 37.12 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.7 hectares per square kilometre | 37.12 hectares per square kilometre | 41.13 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.25 hectares per square kilometre | 41.73 hectares per square kilometre | 42.43 hectares per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 8 Rwanda 46.98 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 9 Hungary 45.41 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 10 Gambia 43.48 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 12 Isle of Man 41.12 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 13 Nigeria 40.48 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 14 Pakistan 39.25 hectares per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 24.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3003 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 201.66 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.8241 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi?
- Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in Malawi was 42.43 hectares per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest arable land (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 42.43 hectares per square kilometre in 2021.
- What is the lowest arable land (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.79 hectares per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for arable land (hectares), per square kilometre?
- Malawi ranks 11th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land (hectares), per square kilometre rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.