Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in New Zealand
New Zealand: Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre was 1.97 hectares per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1.97 hectares per square kilometre
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
169th
of 206 countries
All-time high
2.34 hectares per square kilometre
in 2021
All-time low
1.4 hectares per square kilometre
in 1974
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in New Zealand, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in New Zealand stood at 1.97 hectares per square kilometre.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in New Zealand peaked at 2.34 hectares per square kilometre in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.4 hectares per square kilometre, in 1974.
New Zealand ranks 169th of 206 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | hectares per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.45 hectares per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 1.45 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1.43 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 1.43 hectares per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 1.43 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 1.41 hectares per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1974 | 1.4 hectares per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 1.46 hectares per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1976 | 1.52 hectares per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1977 | 1.52 hectares per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 1.53 hectares per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 1.6 hectares per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1980 | 1.52 hectares per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 1981 | 1.58 hectares per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 1.66 hectares per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1983 | 1.7 hectares per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 1.73 hectares per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 1.78 hectares per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 1.77 hectares per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 1.6 hectares per square kilometre | -9.7% |
| 1988 | 1.42 hectares per square kilometre | -11.0% |
| 1989 | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 1.45 hectares per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 1.47 hectares per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 1.48 hectares per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 1.49 hectares per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 1.5 hectares per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 1.51 hectares per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 1.51 hectares per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 1.52 hectares per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 1.53 hectares per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 1.53 hectares per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 1.53 hectares per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 1.52 hectares per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 1.58 hectares per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 1.6 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 1.61 hectares per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 1.52 hectares per square kilometre | -6.1% |
| 2007 | 1.64 hectares per square kilometre | +8.0% |
| 2008 | 1.72 hectares per square kilometre | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 1.79 hectares per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 1.9 hectares per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 1.79 hectares per square kilometre | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 1.93 hectares per square kilometre | +8.1% |
| 2013 | 2.08 hectares per square kilometre | +7.5% |
| 2014 | 2.24 hectares per square kilometre | +7.9% |
| 2015 | 1.82 hectares per square kilometre | -19.0% |
| 2016 | 2.05 hectares per square kilometre | +13.2% |
| 2017 | 1.86 hectares per square kilometre | -9.2% |
| 2018 | 1.97 hectares per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 2.07 hectares per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 2020 | 2 hectares per square kilometre | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 2.34 hectares per square kilometre | +16.9% |
| 2022 | 2.02 hectares per square kilometre | -13.5% |
| 2023 | 1.97 hectares per square kilometre | -2.4% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 1.97 hectares per square kilometre is below the median for high income countries, which is 7.62 hectares per square kilometre, 26% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 1.97 hectares per square kilometre is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.35 hectares per square kilometre, 59% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | 1.45 hectares per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.47 hectares per square kilometre | 1.4 hectares per square kilometre | 1.6 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.62 hectares per square kilometre | 1.42 hectares per square kilometre | 1.78 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.49 hectares per square kilometre | 1.44 hectares per square kilometre | 1.53 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.6 hectares per square kilometre | 1.52 hectares per square kilometre | 1.79 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.97 hectares per square kilometre | 1.79 hectares per square kilometre | 2.24 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.08 hectares per square kilometre | 1.97 hectares per square kilometre | 2.34 hectares per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 166 Jordan 2.3 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 167 Norway 2.2 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 168 Yemen 2.19 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 170 Hong Kong 1.9 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 171 Chile 1.89 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 172 Equatorial Guinea 1.89 hectares per square kilometre 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 (hectares), per square kilometre in New Zealand?
- Arable land (hectares), per square kilometre in New Zealand was 1.97 hectares per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest arable land (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 2.34 hectares per square kilometre in 2021.
- What is the lowest arable land (hectares), per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4 hectares per square kilometre in 1974.
- How does New Zealand rank for arable land (hectares), per square kilometre?
- New Zealand ranks 169th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land (hectares), per square kilometre rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.