Arable land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Arable land was 8.6% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Arable land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) stood at 8.6%.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 9.1% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 8.5%, in 2009.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 36th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Arable land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 8.5% | — |
| 1962 | 8.6% | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 8.6% | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 8.7% | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 8.8% | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 8.8% | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 8.8% | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 8.8% | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 8.6% | -1.5% |
| 1970 | 8.7% | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 8.7% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 8.8% | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 8.9% | +1.7% |
| 1974 | 8.8% | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 8.8% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 8.8% | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 8.7% | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 8.7% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 8.8% | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 8.6% | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 8.6% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 8.9% | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 8.7% | -2.6% |
| 1984 | 8.8% | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 8.8% | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 8.7% | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 8.8% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 8.7% | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 8.7% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 8.7% | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 8.9% | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 9.0% | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 9.1% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 9.0% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 9.1% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 9.0% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 9.0% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 9.0% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 9.0% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 8.8% | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 8.9% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 8.9% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 8.9% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 8.8% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 8.8% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 8.8% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 8.8% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 8.5% | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 8.5% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 8.5% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8.6% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 8.6% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 8.6% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 8.6% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 8.7% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 8.8% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 8.8% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 8.7% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 8.8% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 8.7% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 8.6% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 8.6% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.7% | 8.5% | 8.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 8.8% | 8.7% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.7% | 8.6% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.0% | 8.7% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.8% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.6% | 8.5% | 8.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.7% | 8.6% | 8.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
More agriculture & rural data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4739 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 14.1% (2025)
- Rural population 354.69 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.2% (2025)
- Rural population 47.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.3% (2019)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.6% (2017)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 397.37 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1406 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Arable land in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 8.6% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The highest recorded value was 9.1% in 1993.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.5% in 2009.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for arable land?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 36th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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.