Arable land in Iraq
Iraq: Arable land was 4.97 million hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
4.97 million hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
49th
of 206 countries
All-time high
5.60 million hectares
in 1993
All-time low
3.65 million hectares
in 2009
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land in Iraq, 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
Iraq recorded 4.97 million hectares for arable land in 2023.
The figure is up 8.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Iraq peaked at 5.60 million hectares in 1993 and was at its lowest, 3.65 million hectares, in 2009.
That places Iraq 49th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in Iraq, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.60 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 4.65 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 1963 | 4.70 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 4.75 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 4.80 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 4.80 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 4.85 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 4.85 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 4.85 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 4.85 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1971 | 4.85 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 5.00 million hectares | +3.1% |
| 1973 | 5.00 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 5.10 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 5.10 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 5.10 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 5.10 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 5.20 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 5.25 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 5.25 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 5.25 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 5.25 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 5.25 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 5.25 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 5.25 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 5.25 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 5.25 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 5.30 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 5.00 million hectares | -5.7% |
| 1990 | 5.00 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 5.40 million hectares | +8.0% |
| 1992 | 5.30 million hectares | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 5.60 million hectares | +5.7% |
| 1994 | 5.05 million hectares | -9.8% |
| 1995 | 4.80 million hectares | -5.0% |
| 1996 | 4.80 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 4.40 million hectares | -8.3% |
| 1998 | 4.40 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 4.30 million hectares | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 4.30 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 4.30 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 4.50 million hectares | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 4.50 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4.50 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4.65 million hectares | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 4.80 million hectares | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 4.95 million hectares | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 4.00 million hectares | -19.2% |
| 2009 | 3.65 million hectares | -8.8% |
| 2010 | 4.00 million hectares | +9.6% |
| 2011 | 4.30 million hectares | +7.5% |
| 2012 | 4.32 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 4.56 million hectares | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 4.97 million hectares | +8.9% |
| 2015 | 4.97 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 4.97 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4.97 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4.97 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 4.97 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 4.97 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 4.97 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 4.97 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 4.97 million hectares | +0.0% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 4.97 million hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.03 million hectares, 4.8× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 4.97 million hectares is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.16 million hectares, 4.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.76 million hectares | 4.60 million hectares | 4.85 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.05 million hectares | 4.85 million hectares | 5.25 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.23 million hectares | 5.00 million hectares | 5.30 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.91 million hectares | 4.30 million hectares | 5.60 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.42 million hectares | 3.65 million hectares | 4.95 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.70 million hectares | 4.00 million hectares | 4.97 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.97 million hectares | 4.97 million hectares | 4.97 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More agriculture & rural data for Iraq
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -8.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0341 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 184.67 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.94 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3006 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.4% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2016)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.1% (2014)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Iraq?
- Arable land in Iraq was 4.97 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 5.60 million hectares in 1993.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.65 million hectares in 2009.
- How does Iraq rank for arable land?
- Iraq ranks 49th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iraq 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.