Arable land in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Arable land was 12.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Arable land in Africa Western and Central, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and website, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for arable land in Africa Western and Central is 12.6%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Africa Western and Central peaked at 12.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 7.0%, in 1961.
Africa Western and Central ranks 10th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 7.0% | — |
| 1962 | 7.0% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 7.1% | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 7.1% | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 7.1% | +0.5% |
| 1966 | 7.1% | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 7.2% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 7.3% | +1.7% |
| 1969 | 7.3% | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 7.2% | -1.2% |
| 1971 | 7.3% | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 7.3% | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 7.3% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 7.2% | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 7.3% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 7.3% | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 7.4% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 7.4% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 7.5% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 7.5% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 7.5% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 7.6% | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 7.6% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 7.7% | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 7.7% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 7.8% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 7.8% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 7.8% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 7.9% | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 8.1% | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 8.3% | +3.0% |
| 1992 | 8.6% | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 8.8% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 8.9% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 9.3% | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 9.5% | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 9.6% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 9.7% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 9.9% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 10.0% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 10.1% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 10.2% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 10.4% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 10.3% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 10.4% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 10.5% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 10.6% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 10.7% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 10.9% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 11.0% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 11.1% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 11.3% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 11.5% | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 11.7% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 11.8% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 11.9% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 12.1% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 12.2% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 12.3% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 12.4% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 12.5% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 12.5% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 12.6% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.1% | 7.0% | 7.3% | 9 |
| 1970s | 7.3% | 7.2% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.7% | 7.5% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.1% | 8.1% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.4% | 10.0% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.7% | 11.0% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 12.4% | 12.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More agriculture & rural data for Africa Western and Central
- Rural population, per capita 0.4652 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 21.9% (2025)
- Rural population 247.88 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.0% (2025)
- Rural population 46.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 4.2% (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 350.89 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 11.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2193 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Africa Western and Central?
- Arable land in Africa Western and Central was 12.6% in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and website, 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 Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 12.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.0% in 1961.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for arable land?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 10th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and website, 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 (% of land area). 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 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.