Arable land in Nepal
Nepal: Arable land was 12.6% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Arable land in Nepal, 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 Nepal stood at 12.6%. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in Nepal peaked at 16.4% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 2022.
That places Nepal 81st out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Arable land in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 12.6% | — |
| 1962 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 12.7% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 12.6% | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 12.7% | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 12.7% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 12.7% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 13.7% | +7.4% |
| 1971 | 13.7% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 14.4% | +5.2% |
| 1973 | 15.1% | +5.4% |
| 1974 | 15.2% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 15.3% | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 15.5% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 15.6% | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 15.7% | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 15.8% | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 15.9% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 16.0% | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 16.0% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 16.1% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 16.1% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 16.1% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 16.1% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 16.2% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 16.2% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 16.2% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 16.2% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 16.3% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 16.3% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 16.3% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 16.3% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 16.3% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 16.4% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 16.4% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 16.4% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 16.4% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 16.4% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 16.4% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 16.3% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 16.1% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 16.0% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 15.9% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 15.8% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 15.6% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 15.5% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 15.3% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 15.2% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 15.1% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 14.9% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 14.6% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 14.4% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 14.2% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 13.9% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 13.7% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 13.5% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 13.3% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 13.0% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 12.8% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 12.6% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 15.0% | 13.7% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.1% | 15.9% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.3% | 16.2% | 16.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.9% | 15.3% | 16.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 13.3% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.8% | 12.6% | 13.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More agriculture & rural data for Nepal
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2156 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 331.1 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.7937 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.33 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 21.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 21.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.6% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in Nepal?
- Arable land in Nepal was 12.6% 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 16.4% in 1999.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 2022.
- How does Nepal rank for arable land?
- Nepal ranks 81st out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Nepal 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.