Arable land in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Arable land was 7.85 million hectares in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
7.85 million hectares
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
33rd
of 206 countries
All-time high
7.91 million hectares
in 1972
All-time low
7.65 million hectares
in 1996
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land in Afghanistan, 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.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 7.85 million hectares for arable land in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Afghanistan peaked at 7.91 million hectares in 1972 and was at its lowest, 7.65 million hectares, in 1996.
That places Afghanistan 33rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Arable land in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 7.65 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 7.70 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 7.75 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 7.80 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 7.80 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 7.83 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 7.84 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 7.84 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 7.86 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 7.87 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 7.90 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 7.91 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 7.82 million hectares | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 7.70 million hectares | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 7.65 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 7.65 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 7.68 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 7.76 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 7.65 million hectares | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 7.68 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 7.68 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 7.68 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 7.77 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 7.82 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 7.80 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 7.79 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 7.79 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 7.79 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 7.79 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 7.79 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 7.79 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 7.79 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 7.79 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 7.77 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 7.76 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 7.73 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 7.70 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 7.79 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 7.79 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 7.83 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 7.83 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 7.81 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 7.85 million hectares | +0.5% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 7.85 million hectares is above the median for low income countries, which is 3.00 million hectares, 2.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 7.85 million hectares is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.16 million hectares, 6.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.79 million hectares | 7.65 million hectares | 7.86 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 7.91 million hectares | 7.87 million hectares | 7.91 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.91 million hectares | 7.91 million hectares | 7.91 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.77 million hectares | 7.65 million hectares | 7.91 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.76 million hectares | 7.68 million hectares | 7.82 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.77 million hectares | 7.70 million hectares | 7.79 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.83 million hectares | 7.81 million hectares | 7.85 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More agriculture & rural data for Afghanistan
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3429 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 142.96 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0018 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7406 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 34.3% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 34.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 21.0% (2019)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.8% (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Afghanistan?
- Arable land in Afghanistan was 7.85 million hectares 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 Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 7.91 million hectares in 1972.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.65 million hectares in 1996.
- How does Afghanistan rank for arable land?
- Afghanistan ranks 33rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Arable land (in hectares) 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.