Arable land (hectares) in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Arable land (hectares) was 4.02 million hectares in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
4.02 million hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
59th
of 206 countries
All-time high
4.25 million hectares
in 2008
All-time low
980,140 hectares
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Arable land in Zimbabwe, 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
In 2024, arable land in Zimbabwe stood at 4.02 million hectares.
The figure is down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Zimbabwe peaked at 4.25 million hectares in 2008 and was at its lowest, 980,140 hectares, in 1961.
Zimbabwe ranks 59th 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 Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 980,140 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 1.02 million hectares | +3.8% |
| 1963 | 1.08 million hectares | +6.3% |
| 1964 | 1.12 million hectares | +3.1% |
| 1965 | 1.16 million hectares | +3.9% |
| 1966 | 1.14 million hectares | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 1.21 million hectares | +5.9% |
| 1968 | 1.22 million hectares | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 1.31 million hectares | +7.2% |
| 1970 | 1.38 million hectares | +4.8% |
| 1971 | 1.46 million hectares | +6.0% |
| 1972 | 1.56 million hectares | +7.0% |
| 1973 | 1.62 million hectares | +3.7% |
| 1974 | 1.71 million hectares | +5.6% |
| 1975 | 1.77 million hectares | +3.3% |
| 1976 | 1.81 million hectares | +2.5% |
| 1977 | 1.90 million hectares | +4.9% |
| 1978 | 1.92 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 1.96 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 2.04 million hectares | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 2.16 million hectares | +6.0% |
| 1982 | 2.25 million hectares | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 2.42 million hectares | +7.9% |
| 1984 | 2.48 million hectares | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 2.54 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 2.65 million hectares | +4.6% |
| 1987 | 2.55 million hectares | -3.7% |
| 1988 | 2.65 million hectares | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 2.88 million hectares | +8.9% |
| 1990 | 3.00 million hectares | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 3.05 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 2.80 million hectares | -8.3% |
| 1993 | 2.90 million hectares | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 3.17 million hectares | +9.2% |
| 1995 | 3.14 million hectares | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 3.32 million hectares | +5.8% |
| 1997 | 3.26 million hectares | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 3.24 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 3.45 million hectares | +6.7% |
| 2000 | 3.70 million hectares | +7.1% |
| 2001 | 3.60 million hectares | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 3.65 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 3.65 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 3.80 million hectares | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 3.90 million hectares | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 4.10 million hectares | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 4.00 million hectares | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 4.25 million hectares | +6.2% |
| 2009 | 4.10 million hectares | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 4.00 million hectares | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 4.20 million hectares | +5.0% |
| 2012 | 4.05 million hectares | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 4.05 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 4.05 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 4.04 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 4.04 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 4.04 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 4.04 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 4.03 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 4.03 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 4.03 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 4.02 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 4.02 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 4.02 million hectares | +0.0% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 4.02 million hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.60 million hectares, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 4.02 million hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.83 million hectares, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.14 million hectares | 980,140 hectares | 1.31 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.71 million hectares | 1.38 million hectares | 1.96 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.46 million hectares | 2.04 million hectares | 2.88 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.13 million hectares | 2.80 million hectares | 3.45 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.88 million hectares | 3.60 million hectares | 4.25 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.05 million hectares | 4.00 million hectares | 4.20 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.02 million hectares | 4.02 million hectares | 4.03 million hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More agriculture & rural data for Zimbabwe
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate -1.42 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0001 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.1777 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate -0.2864 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0003 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.8916 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 34.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0947 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 286.19 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.8815 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Zimbabwe?
- Arable land in Zimbabwe was 4.02 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 4.25 million hectares in 2008.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 980,140 hectares in 1961.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for arable land?
- Zimbabwe ranks 59th out of 206 countries with data for 2024.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.