Arable land in Arab World
Arab World: Arable land was 4.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Arable land in Arab World, 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
In 2023, arable land in Arab World stood at 4.5%.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Arab World peaked at 4.6% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 1962.
That places Arab World 42nd out of 45 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in Arab World, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.1% | — |
| 1962 | 3.1% | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 3.1% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 3.2% | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 3.2% | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 3.2% | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 3.2% | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 3.2% | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 3.2% | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 3.2% | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 3.2% | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 3.3% | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 3.3% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 3.3% | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 3.3% | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 3.3% | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 3.3% | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 3.3% | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 3.3% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 3.3% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 3.3% | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 3.4% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 3.3% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 3.4% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 3.4% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 3.4% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 3.5% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 3.5% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 3.5% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 3.5% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 3.6% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 3.7% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 3.7% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 3.7% | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 3.7% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 3.7% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 3.6% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 3.6% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 3.6% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 3.6% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 3.5% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 3.5% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 3.6% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 3.5% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 3.5% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 3.5% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 3.5% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 3.4% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 3.4% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 3.4% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 3.4% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 4.5% | +31.1% |
| 2013 | 4.5% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 4.4% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 4.5% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 4.5% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 4.6% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 4.6% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 4.6% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 4.5% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 4.5% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 4.5% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.2% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.3% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.6% | 3.5% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.3% | 3.4% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
- 39 Azerbaijan 25.3% compare
- 40 United Kingdom 25.0% compare
- 41 Guinea 24.4% compare
- 42 Syria 24.0% compare
- 43 Italy 24.0% compare
- 44 Luxembourg 23.8% compare
- 45 Cambodia 23.3% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Arab World
- Rural population, per capita 0.3996 units per person (2025)
- Rural population 201.16 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.6% (2025)
- Rural population 40.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.1% (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 448.55 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 12.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0595 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 225.78 billion current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Arab World?
- Arable land in Arab World was 4.5% 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 Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 4.6% in 2017.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 1962.
- How does Arab World rank for arable land?
- Arab World ranks 42nd out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Arab World 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.