Arable land in Malaysia
Malaysia: Arable land was 784,300 hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
784,300 hectares
Change on year
down 5.0%
World rank
116th
of 206 countries
All-time high
1.08 million hectares
in 1979
All-time low
754,740 hectares
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land in Malaysia, 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
Malaysia recorded 784,300 hectares for arable land in 2023.
The figure is down 5.0% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Malaysia peaked at 1.08 million hectares in 1979 and was at its lowest, 754,740 hectares, in 1961.
Malaysia ranks 116th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 754,740 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 777,950 hectares | +3.1% |
| 1963 | 800,870 hectares | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 811,020 hectares | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 773,340 hectares | -4.6% |
| 1966 | 777,130 hectares | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 788,680 hectares | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 865,300 hectares | +9.7% |
| 1969 | 868,940 hectares | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 951,010 hectares | +9.4% |
| 1971 | 967,780 hectares | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 1.01 million hectares | +4.1% |
| 1973 | 1.02 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 1.00 million hectares | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 1.06 million hectares | +5.0% |
| 1976 | 1.04 million hectares | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 1.07 million hectares | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 1.07 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 1.08 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 1.06 million hectares | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 1.03 million hectares | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 994,790 hectares | -3.8% |
| 1983 | 990,440 hectares | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 951,120 hectares | -4.0% |
| 1985 | 947,750 hectares | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 894,900 hectares | -5.6% |
| 1987 | 901,400 hectares | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 911,800 hectares | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 907,700 hectares | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 930,600 hectares | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 936,500 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 926,500 hectares | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 915,400 hectares | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 927,900 hectares | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 901,000 hectares | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 892,100 hectares | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 888,700 hectares | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 874,700 hectares | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 877,100 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 868,700 hectares | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 877,000 hectares | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 967,500 hectares | +10.3% |
| 2003 | 946,240 hectares | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 946,700 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 949,410 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 890,200 hectares | -6.2% |
| 2007 | 827,200 hectares | -7.1% |
| 2008 | 870,400 hectares | +5.2% |
| 2009 | 845,000 hectares | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 854,300 hectares | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 865,600 hectares | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 868,400 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 802,700 hectares | -7.6% |
| 2014 | 814,005 hectares | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 825,310 hectares | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 825,310 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 825,310 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 825,310 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 825,310 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 825,310 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 825,310 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 825,310 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 784,300 hectares | -5.0% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 784,300 hectares is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.03 million hectares, 76% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 784,300 hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 94,150 hectares, 8.3× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 801,997 hectares | 754,740 hectares | 868,940 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.03 million hectares | 951,010 hectares | 1.08 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 959,169 hectares | 894,900 hectares | 1.06 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 907,050 hectares | 874,700 hectares | 936,500 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 898,835 hectares | 827,200 hectares | 967,500 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 833,156 hectares | 802,700 hectares | 868,400 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 815,058 hectares | 784,300 hectares | 825,310 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More agriculture & rural data for Malaysia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0822 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,078 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.913 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2261 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Malaysia?
- Arable land in Malaysia was 784,300 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.08 million hectares in 1979.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 754,740 hectares in 1961.
- How does Malaysia rank for arable land?
- Malaysia ranks 116th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.