Arable land (hectares) in Benin
Benin: Arable land (hectares) was 3.65 million hectares in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
3.65 million hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
64th
of 206 countries
All-time high
3.65 million hectares
in 2022
All-time low
920,000 hectares
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Arable land in Benin, 1961–2024
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
The most recent figure for arable land in Benin is 3.65 million hectares, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 35.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Benin peaked at 3.65 million hectares in 2022 and was at its lowest, 920,000 hectares, in 1961.
Benin ranks 64th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Arable land (hectares) in Benin, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 920,000 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 940,000 hectares | +2.2% |
| 1963 | 960,000 hectares | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 980,000 hectares | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 1.00 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 1.03 million hectares | +3.0% |
| 1967 | 1.07 million hectares | +3.9% |
| 1968 | 1.10 million hectares | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 1.18 million hectares | +7.3% |
| 1970 | 1.20 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 1.25 million hectares | +4.2% |
| 1972 | 1.28 million hectares | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 1.30 million hectares | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 1.33 million hectares | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 1.37 million hectares | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 1.40 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 1.43 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 1.45 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 1.47 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 1.50 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 1.53 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 1.55 million hectares | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 1.56 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 1.57 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 1.58 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 1.59 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 1.60 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 1.61 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 1.62 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 1.61 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 1.62 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 1.63 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 1.65 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 1.70 million hectares | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 1.79 million hectares | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 1.95 million hectares | +8.9% |
| 1997 | 2.10 million hectares | +7.7% |
| 1998 | 2.25 million hectares | +7.1% |
| 1999 | 2.30 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 2.38 million hectares | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 2.45 million hectares | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 2.55 million hectares | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 2.65 million hectares | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 2.65 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 2.65 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 2.50 million hectares | -5.8% |
| 2007 | 2.50 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2.50 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 2.50 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 2.50 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 2.50 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2.60 million hectares | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 2.70 million hectares | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 2.70 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.70 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.80 million hectares | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 3.03 million hectares | +8.1% |
| 2018 | 3.50 million hectares | +15.7% |
| 2019 | 3.64 million hectares | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 3.41 million hectares | -6.1% |
| 2021 | 3.59 million hectares | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 3.65 million hectares | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 3.65 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 3.65 million hectares | +0.0% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 3.65 million hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.60 million hectares, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Benin's 3.65 million hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.83 million hectares, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.02 million hectares | 920,000 hectares | 1.18 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.35 million hectares | 1.20 million hectares | 1.47 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.57 million hectares | 1.50 million hectares | 1.62 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.86 million hectares | 1.61 million hectares | 2.30 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.53 million hectares | 2.38 million hectares | 2.65 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.87 million hectares | 2.50 million hectares | 3.64 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.59 million hectares | 3.41 million hectares | 3.65 million hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More agriculture & rural data for Benin
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 1.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.2998 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 1.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.337 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.16 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2292 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 380.06 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6697 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Benin?
- Arable land in Benin was 3.65 million hectares in 2024, 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 Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 3.65 million hectares in 2022.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 920,000 hectares in 1961.
- How does Benin rank for arable land?
- Benin ranks 64th out of 206 countries with data for 2024.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin 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
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.