Cropland area in Malta
Malta: Cropland area was 8,291 hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
8,291 hectares
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
186th
of 224 countries
All-time high
18,000 hectares
in 1961
All-time low
8,291 hectares
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Cropland area in Malta, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, cropland area in Malta stood at 8,291 hectares. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and down 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cropland area in Malta peaked at 18,000 hectares in 1961 and was at its lowest, 8,291 hectares, in 2023.
That places Malta 186th out of 224 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Cropland area in Malta, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 18,000 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 17,000 hectares | -5.6% |
| 1963 | 16,000 hectares | -5.9% |
| 1964 | 15,000 hectares | -6.2% |
| 1965 | 14,000 hectares | -6.7% |
| 1966 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 13,000 hectares | -7.1% |
| 1976 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 14,000 hectares | +7.7% |
| 1978 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 14,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 13,000 hectares | -7.1% |
| 1981 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 13,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 11,000 hectares | -15.4% |
| 1996 | 11,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 10,000 hectares | -9.1% |
| 1998 | 9,000 hectares | -10.0% |
| 1999 | 9,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 9,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 10,000 hectares | +11.1% |
| 2002 | 10,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 10,400 hectares | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 10,000 hectares | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 9,300 hectares | -7.0% |
| 2006 | 9,300 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 9,300 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 9,300 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 9,300 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 10,330 hectares | +11.1% |
| 2011 | 10,330 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 10,300 hectares | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 10,230 hectares | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 10,230 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 10,230 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 10,380 hectares | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 10,380 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 10,380 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 10,380 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 9,110 hectares | -12.2% |
| 2021 | 8,750 hectares | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 8,750 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 8,291 hectares | -5.2% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 8,291 hectares is below the median for high income countries, which is 303,040 hectares, 3% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Malta's 8,291 hectares is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.45 million hectares, 1% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15,111 hectares | 14,000 hectares | 18,000 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 13,800 hectares | 13,000 hectares | 14,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 13,000 hectares | 13,000 hectares | 13,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 11,500 hectares | 9,000 hectares | 13,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 9,590 hectares | 9,000 hectares | 10,400 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 10,317 hectares | 10,230 hectares | 10,380 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 8,725 hectares | 8,291 hectares | 9,110 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malta
- 183 Brunei 10,000 hectares compare
- 184 New Caledonia 9,700 hectares compare
- 185 Saint Lucia 9,570 hectares compare
- 187 Barbados 8,000 hectares compare
- 187 Guam 8,000 hectares compare
- 187 Netherlands Antilles 8,000 hectares compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malta
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0047 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 224.75 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0432 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.2% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cropland area in Malta?
- Cropland area in Malta was 8,291 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 Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 18,000 hectares in 1961.
- What is the lowest cropland area recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,291 hectares in 2023.
- How does Malta rank for cropland area?
- Malta ranks 186th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is cropland area rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malta 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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