Cropland area in Kenya
Kenya: Cropland area was 7.47 million hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
7.47 million hectares
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
44th
of 224 countries
All-time high
7.47 million hectares
in 2023
All-time low
3.73 million hectares
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cropland area in Kenya, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cropland area in Kenya is 7.47 million hectares, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cropland area in Kenya peaked at 7.47 million hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.73 million hectares, in 1961.
That places Kenya 44th out of 224 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Cropland area in Kenya, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.73 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 3.74 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 3.74 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 3.75 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 3.76 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 3.77 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 3.78 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 3.78 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 3.79 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 3.80 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 3.81 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 3.82 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 3.83 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 3.83 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 4.27 million hectares | +11.4% |
| 1976 | 4.28 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 4.28 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 4.16 million hectares | -2.8% |
| 1979 | 4.17 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 4.17 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 4.18 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 4.19 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 4.20 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 4.13 million hectares | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 4.99 million hectares | +20.7% |
| 1986 | 5.02 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 5.09 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 5.32 million hectares | +4.6% |
| 1989 | 5.72 million hectares | +7.5% |
| 1990 | 5.45 million hectares | -4.8% |
| 1991 | 5.56 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 5.77 million hectares | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 5.54 million hectares | -3.9% |
| 1994 | 5.94 million hectares | +7.2% |
| 1995 | 5.94 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 5.18 million hectares | -12.8% |
| 1997 | 5.33 million hectares | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 5.20 million hectares | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 5.63 million hectares | +8.2% |
| 2000 | 5.43 million hectares | -3.5% |
| 2001 | 5.54 million hectares | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 5.52 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 5.57 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 5.69 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 5.70 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 5.75 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 5.77 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 5.79 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 6.01 million hectares | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 6.09 million hectares | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 6.63 million hectares | +8.9% |
| 2012 | 6.97 million hectares | +5.1% |
| 2013 | 7.04 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 7.01 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 7.00 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 7.16 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 6.83 million hectares | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 7.29 million hectares | +6.7% |
| 2019 | 7.37 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 7.39 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 7.40 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 7.44 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 7.47 million hectares | +0.3% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 7.47 million hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.82 million hectares, 2.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 7.47 million hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.21 million hectares, 2.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.76 million hectares | 3.73 million hectares | 3.79 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.02 million hectares | 3.80 million hectares | 4.28 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.70 million hectares | 4.13 million hectares | 5.72 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.55 million hectares | 5.18 million hectares | 5.94 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.68 million hectares | 5.43 million hectares | 6.01 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.94 million hectares | 6.09 million hectares | 7.37 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.42 million hectares | 7.39 million hectares | 7.47 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More agriculture & rural data for Kenya
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 16.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2316 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 547.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6779 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 12.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cropland area in Kenya?
- Cropland area in Kenya was 7.47 million hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cropland area recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 7.47 million hectares in 2023.
- What is the lowest cropland area recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.73 million hectares in 1961.
- How does Kenya rank for cropland area?
- Kenya ranks 44th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cropland area rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Cropland area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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