Arable land in Laos
Laos: Arable land was 5.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Arable land in Laos, 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
Laos recorded 5.3% for arable land in 2023.
That represents a change of down 18.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Laos peaked at 6.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 1961.
That places Laos 131st out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in Laos, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.8% | — |
| 1962 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 2.8% | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 2.9% | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 2.9% | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 2.9% | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 2.9% | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 3.0% | +4.5% |
| 1973 | 3.1% | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 3.2% | +2.8% |
| 1975 | 3.2% | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 3.3% | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 3.3% | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 3.4% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 3.4% | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 3.4% | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 3.4% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 3.4% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 3.4% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 3.4% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 3.5% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 3.6% | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 3.6% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 3.6% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 3.7% | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 3.7% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 3.8% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | +4.9% |
| 2001 | 4.2% | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 4.4% | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 4.6% | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 4.8% | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 5.2% | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 5.4% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 5.6% | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 5.9% | +5.4% |
| 2010 | 6.1% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 6.2% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 6.3% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 6.5% | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 6.5% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 6.5% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 6.5% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 6.2% | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 5.9% | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 5.6% | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 5.3% | -5.5% |
| 2021 | 5.3% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 5.3% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 5.3% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.9% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.6% | 3.5% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.9% | 4.0% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.2% | 5.6% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 128 Eritrea 5.7% compare
- 129 Puerto Rico 5.7% compare
- 130 Bermuda 5.6% compare
- 132 Liberia 5.2% compare
- 133 Madagascar 5.2% compare
- 134 American Samoa 5.2% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Laos
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1662 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 386.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.0583 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5969 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 10.3% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 4.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Laos?
- Arable land in Laos was 5.3% 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 Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 6.5% in 2016.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 1961.
- How does Laos rank for arable land?
- Laos ranks 131st out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos 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.