Arable land in Iceland
Iceland: Arable land was 1.2% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Arable land in Iceland, 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 Iceland stood at 1.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Iceland peaked at 1.4% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 1961.
Iceland ranks 181st of 206 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Arable land in Iceland, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.2% | — |
| 1962 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1.2% | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 1.2% | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 1.2% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 1.2% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 1.2% | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 1.3% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 1.3% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 1.3% | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 1.3% | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 1.3% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1.3% | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1.3% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.3% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.3% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 1.3% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 1.3% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | -3.1% |
| 2008 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 1.2% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More agriculture & rural data for Iceland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 19.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0365 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 3,593 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.8983 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0578 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 3.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 3.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Iceland?
- Arable land in Iceland was 1.2% 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.4% in 1990.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 1961.
- How does Iceland rank for arable land?
- Iceland ranks 181st out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Iceland 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.