Arable land in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Arable land was 25.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Arable land in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 25.0%.
The figure is down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 30.4% in 1964 and was at its lowest, 23.4%, in 2001.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 40th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 29.7% | — |
| 1962 | 29.9% | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 30.1% | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 30.4% | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 30.3% | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 30.3% | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 30.2% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 30.1% | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 29.6% | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 29.4% | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 29.5% | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 29.5% | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 29.2% | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 29.2% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 28.4% | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 28.5% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 28.6% | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 28.7% | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 28.2% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 28.6% | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 28.5% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 28.6% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 28.5% | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 28.6% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 28.9% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 28.7% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 28.7% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 28.5% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 27.7% | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 27.4% | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 27.1% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 27.1% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 25.2% | -7.1% |
| 1994 | 24.4% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 24.5% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 25.2% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 26.3% | +4.4% |
| 1998 | 25.8% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 24.5% | -5.4% |
| 2000 | 24.3% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 23.4% | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 23.9% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 23.4% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 24.1% | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 23.7% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 25.2% | +6.4% |
| 2007 | 25.2% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 24.8% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 25.0% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 24.7% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 25.1% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 25.7% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 25.9% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 25.8% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 24.8% | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 24.9% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 25.1% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 25.0% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 25.2% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 24.7% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 24.8% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 25.0% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 25.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 30.1% | 29.6% | 30.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 28.9% | 28.2% | 29.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.5% | 27.7% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.8% | 24.4% | 27.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.3% | 23.4% | 25.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.2% | 24.7% | 25.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.9% | 24.7% | 25.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More agriculture & rural data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0064 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 368.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1852 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1668 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Arable land in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 25.0% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 30.4% in 1964.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.4% in 2001.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for arable land?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 40th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.