Arable land in Gambia
Gambia: Arable land was 440,000 hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
440,000 hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
127th
of 206 countries
All-time high
450,000 hectares
in 2010
All-time low
121,000 hectares
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land in Gambia, 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
The most recent figure for arable land in Gambia is 440,000 hectares, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Gambia peaked at 450,000 hectares in 2010 and was at its lowest, 121,000 hectares, in 1961.
That places Gambia 127th 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 in Gambia, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 121,000 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 122,000 hectares | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 123,000 hectares | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 124,000 hectares | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 125,000 hectares | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 126,000 hectares | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 128,000 hectares | +1.6% |
| 1968 | 128,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 130,000 hectares | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 130,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 133,000 hectares | +2.3% |
| 1972 | 138,000 hectares | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 143,000 hectares | +3.6% |
| 1974 | 170,000 hectares | +18.9% |
| 1975 | 164,000 hectares | -3.5% |
| 1976 | 163,000 hectares | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 170,000 hectares | +4.3% |
| 1978 | 177,000 hectares | +4.1% |
| 1979 | 166,000 hectares | -6.2% |
| 1980 | 159,000 hectares | -4.2% |
| 1981 | 181,000 hectares | +13.8% |
| 1982 | 202,000 hectares | +11.6% |
| 1983 | 183,000 hectares | -9.4% |
| 1984 | 169,000 hectares | -7.7% |
| 1985 | 169,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 177,000 hectares | +4.7% |
| 1987 | 184,000 hectares | +4.0% |
| 1988 | 199,000 hectares | +8.2% |
| 1989 | 181,000 hectares | -9.0% |
| 1990 | 187,000 hectares | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 196,000 hectares | +4.8% |
| 1992 | 162,000 hectares | -17.3% |
| 1993 | 161,000 hectares | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 180,000 hectares | +11.8% |
| 1995 | 185,000 hectares | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 190,000 hectares | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 205,000 hectares | +7.9% |
| 1998 | 215,000 hectares | +4.9% |
| 1999 | 225,000 hectares | +4.7% |
| 2000 | 234,000 hectares | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 244,000 hectares | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 254,000 hectares | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 264,000 hectares | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 273,000 hectares | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 283,000 hectares | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 293,000 hectares | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 303,000 hectares | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 372,000 hectares | +22.8% |
| 2009 | 428,000 hectares | +15.1% |
| 2010 | 450,000 hectares | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 450,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 450,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 450,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 450,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 450,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 450,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 440,000 hectares | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 440,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 440,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 440,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 440,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 440,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 440,000 hectares | +0.0% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 440,000 hectares is below the median for low income countries, which is 3.00 million hectares, 15% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 440,000 hectares is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.83 million hectares, 16% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 125,222 hectares | 121,000 hectares | 130,000 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 155,400 hectares | 130,000 hectares | 177,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 180,400 hectares | 159,000 hectares | 202,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 190,600 hectares | 161,000 hectares | 225,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 294,800 hectares | 234,000 hectares | 428,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 447,000 hectares | 440,000 hectares | 450,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 440,000 hectares | 440,000 hectares | 440,000 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
- 124 Liberia 500,000 hectares compare
- 125 Mauritania 450,000 hectares compare
- 126 Armenia 441,600 hectares compare
- 128 Ireland 439,000 hectares compare
- 129 North Macedonia 416,000 hectares compare
- 130 Switzerland 396,421 hectares compare
More agriculture & rural data for Gambia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 25.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2385 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 219.17 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2766 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3501 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Gambia?
- Arable land in Gambia was 440,000 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 Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 450,000 hectares in 2010.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 121,000 hectares in 1961.
- How does Gambia rank for arable land?
- Gambia ranks 127th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Gambia 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 — 63 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.