Arable land in South Korea
South Korea: Arable land was 14.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Arable land in South Korea, 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 South Korea stood at 14.9%.
The figure is up 10.3% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in South Korea peaked at 22.8% in 1967 and was at its lowest, 13.5%, in 2022.
South Korea ranks 71st 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 South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 21.1% | — |
| 1962 | 20.7% | -1.7% |
| 1963 | 20.8% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 21.7% | +4.0% |
| 1965 | 22.4% | +3.4% |
| 1966 | 22.7% | +1.1% |
| 1967 | 22.8% | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 22.5% | -1.0% |
| 1969 | 22.4% | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 22.3% | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 22.1% | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 21.8% | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 21.7% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 21.5% | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 21.4% | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 21.4% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 21.4% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 21.6% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 21.4% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 21.4% | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 21.3% | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 21.2% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 21.1% | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 20.9% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 20.8% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 20.8% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 20.8% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 20.7% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 20.5% | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 20.2% | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 20.0% | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 19.7% | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 19.4% | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 19.1% | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 18.5% | -3.4% |
| 1996 | 18.1% | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 17.9% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 17.7% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 17.6% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 17.8% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 17.5% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 17.3% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 17.1% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 17.1% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 17.0% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 16.7% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 16.5% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 16.1% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 15.8% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 15.5% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 15.3% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 15.6% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 15.4% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 15.1% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 15.0% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 14.6% | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 14.3% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 14.1% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 14.0% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 13.9% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 13.8% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 13.5% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 14.9% | +10.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.9% | 20.7% | 22.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 21.7% | 21.4% | 22.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.9% | 20.5% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.8% | 17.6% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.9% | 15.8% | 17.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.9% | 14.0% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.0% | 13.5% | 14.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More agriculture & rural data for South Korea
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 0.2516 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0146 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 530.46 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1591 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1883 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in South Korea?
- Arable land in South Korea was 14.9% 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 22.8% in 1967.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.5% in 2022.
- How does South Korea rank for arable land?
- South Korea ranks 71st out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea 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.