Statizoid

Has the world passed peak agricultural land? by country

Agricultural land is the sum of cropland and pasture used for grazing livestock. This is shown for three sources, which use different methods of estimation. While they disagree on how much land is used for agriculture, and the exact date that it peaked, they do all agree that we have passed the peak.

Countries reporting
164
Highest
524.84 million
China
Lowest
1,890
Solomon Islands
Median
4.98 million
Years covered
231
1780–2010
Data points
4,296

What the numbers show

Has the world passed peak agricultural land? is currently reported for 164 countries. The highest value is 524.84 million in China; the lowest is 1,890 in Solomon Islands.

The median across all reporting countries is 4.98 million, and the mean is 25.62 million.

Over the past decade 84 countries rose and 78 fell. The largest increase was in Oman (up 38.6%), and the largest decrease in New Caledonia (down 70.4%).

Has the world passed peak agricultural land?: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 China 524.84 million 2010 up 1.3% rising
2 United States 381.41 million 2010 down 0.4% volatile
3 Australia 356.16 million 2010 down 10.3% volatile
4 Brazil 228.71 million 2010 up 1.5% volatile
5 Kazakhstan 196.86 million 2010 down 1.2% volatile
6 Russia 176.39 million 2010 down 1.4% rising
7 India 171.91 million 2010 up 0.5% rising
8 Argentina 117.92 million 2010 up 0.1% volatile
9 Saudi Arabia 110.02 million 2010 down 0.0% volatile
10 Mongolia 103.89 million 2010 down 3.6% volatile
11 Mexico 89.60 million 2010 up 0.2% volatile
12 South Africa 78.69 million 2010 down 2.2% volatile
13 Sudan 73.62 million 2010 up 2.3% volatile
14 Nigeria 66.12 million 2010 up 3.5% rising
15 Canada 59.86 million 2010 up 1.0% volatile
16 Angola 50.99 million 2010 up 0.1% volatile
17 Iran 45.92 million 2010 down 21.5% rising
18 South Sudan 45.39 million 2010 up 1.7% volatile
19 Somalia 41.38 million 2010 up 0.5% volatile
20 Chad 39.91 million 2010 up 1.3% rising
21 Ukraine 39.54 million 2010 down 1.2% rising
22 Turkey 38.70 million 2010 down 2.6% rising
23 Mozambique 37.01 million 2010 down 0.3% volatile
24 Algeria 36.81 million 2010 up 0.7% rising
25 Afghanistan 36.63 million 2010 up 0.1% volatile
26 Madagascar 35.55 million 2010 down 0.4% volatile
27 Indonesia 33.93 million 2010 up 12.4% volatile
28 Colombia 33.73 million 2010 down 5.7% volatile
29 Mali 33.28 million 2010 up 1.7% rising
30 Niger 32.16 million 2010 up 3.0% rising
31 Turkmenistan 30.46 million 2010 down 0.2% volatile
32 Ethiopia 30.22 million 2010 up 8.9% volatile
33 Bolivia 28.74 million 2010 up 2.3% rising
34 Namibia 26.70 million 2010 down 5.8% volatile
35 Uzbekistan 25.91 million 2010 up 0.2% rising
36 Pakistan 24.81 million 2010 up 1.4% volatile
37 Kenya 24.21 million 2010 up 1.5% rising
38 Democratic Republic of Congo 23.24 million 2010 up 6.3% rising
39 Mauritania 22.94 million 2010 up 0.2% volatile
40 France 21.88 million 2010 down 0.5% falling
41 Tanzania 21.82 million 2010 up 4.8% volatile
42 Spain 21.00 million 2010 down 2.8% flat
43 Paraguay 20.27 million 2010 up 5.0% volatile
44 Yemen 19.37 million 2010 up 0.4% rising
45 Botswana 18.85 million 2010 down 0.3% rising
46 Peru 18.49 million 2010 up 3.5% volatile
47 Morocco 18.21 million 2010 down 19.2% volatile
48 Thailand 17.71 million 2010 down 2.5% volatile
49 Zambia 16.98 million 2010 up 7.7% volatile
50 Venezuela 16.63 million 2010 up 0.1% volatile
51 Cote d'Ivoire 15.77 million 2010 up 4.4% volatile
52 Libya 13.84 million 2010 up 1.2% volatile
53 Uruguay 13.28 million 2010 down 2.4% volatile
54 Syria 13.18 million 2010 up 2.9% rising
55 Chile 12.43 million 2010 down 2.5% volatile
56 Iraq 12.00 million 2010 up 11.0% volatile
57 Zimbabwe 11.99 million 2010 up 4.7% volatile
58 Ghana 11.18 million 2010 up 3.3% volatile
59 Uganda 11.10 million 2010 up 6.0% rising
60 Romania 10.93 million 2010 down 8.1% rising
61 Germany 10.82 million 2010 down 3.0% falling
62 Myanmar 10.71 million 2010 up 3.0% volatile
63 Burkina Faso 10.08 million 2010 up 9.8% volatile
64 Kyrgyzstan 10.01 million 2010 down 0.0% rising
65 Italy 9.76 million 2010 down 7.4% rising
66 New Zealand 9.65 million 2010 up 1.0% volatile
67 Cameroon 9.27 million 2010 up 1.9% volatile
68 Bangladesh 9.14 million 2010 up 0.2% rising
69 Guinea 8.97 million 2010 up 1.6% volatile
70 Poland 8.93 million 2010 down 14.8% rising
71 United Kingdom 8.90 million 2010 down 7.2% rising
72 Belarus 8.22 million 2010 down 6.8% rising
73 Congo 8.15 million 2010 down 9.1% volatile
74 Senegal 7.72 million 2010 up 5.7% volatile
75 Tunisia 7.14 million 2010 up 0.9% volatile
76 Vietnam 6.73 million 2010 up 7.0% volatile
77 Malaysia 6.50 million 2010 up 14.0% volatile
78 Ecuador 6.20 million 2010 down 7.0% volatile
79 Eritrea 5.94 million 2010 up 1.2% volatile
80 Cambodia 5.82 million 2010 up 19.0% volatile
81 Hungary 5.10 million 2010 down 2.1% rising
82 Central African Republic 5.10 million 2010 up 3.8% volatile
83 Philippines 4.86 million 2010 up 1.9% volatile
84 Malawi 4.36 million 2010 up 14.4% volatile
85 Azerbaijan 4.30 million 2010 down 0.2% volatile
86 Tajikistan 4.05 million 2010 down 4.2% rising
87 Greece 3.88 million 2010 down 4.4% rising
88 Cuba 3.85 million 2010 up 3.8% volatile
89 Bulgaria 3.84 million 2010 down 4.5% rising
90 Serbia 3.84 million 2010 down 3.4% rising
91 Nepal 3.80 million 2010 down 0.6% rising
92 Gabon 3.73 million 2010 down 2.0% rising
93 Czechia 3.48 million 2010 down 2.4% rising
94 Guatemala 3.47 million 2010 up 0.4% volatile
95 Nicaragua 3.25 million 2010 up 5.1% volatile
96 Egypt 3.04 million 2010 up 10.4% rising
97 Benin 2.94 million 2010 up 12.6% rising
98 Portugal 2.87 million 2010 down 3.5% rising
99 Georgia 2.76 million 2010 down 0.5% volatile
100 Togo 2.71 million 2010 up 6.3% rising
101 Ireland 2.67 million 2010 down 9.9% falling
102 Sierra Leone 2.61 million 2010 up 2.5% volatile
103 Japan 2.48 million 2010 down 14.7% rising
104 Honduras 2.47 million 2010 down 1.4% volatile
105 Moldova 2.32 million 2010 down 2.7% rising
106 Liberia 2.20 million 2010 down 0.4% volatile
107 Austria 2.13 million 2010 down 6.6% falling
108 Burundi 2.12 million 2010 up 1.4% volatile
109 Lesotho 2.10 million 2010 up 1.4% volatile
110 Rwanda 2.06 million 2010 up 2.3% volatile
111 Oman 2.06 million 2010 up 38.6% rising
112 Croatia 1.97 million 2010 down 27.5% rising
113 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.97 million 2010 down 4.6% rising
114 North Korea 1.96 million 2010 up 7.9% volatile
115 Lithuania 1.87 million 2010 down 20.1% rising
116 Dominican Republic 1.57 million 2010 down 4.2% volatile
117 Sri Lanka 1.45 million 2010 down 4.3% volatile
118 El Salvador 1.45 million 2010 up 11.9% volatile
119 Panama 1.44 million 2010 up 11.5% volatile
120 Laos 1.39 million 2010 up 2.2% rising
121 Jordan 1.37 million 2010 down 2.4% volatile
122 Costa Rica 1.30 million 2010 up 0.1% volatile
123 Denmark 1.30 million 2010 down 2.7% rising
124 Guyana 1.28 million 2010 down 2.4% volatile
125 Armenia 1.25 million 2010 down 2.6% rising
126 Netherlands 1.24 million 2010 down 0.5% rising
127 Belgium 1.22 million 2010 up 4.7% rising
128 Haiti 1.21 million 2010 down 1.0% volatile
129 Switzerland 1.16 million 2010 down 0.2% rising
130 South Korea 1.16 million 2010 down 6.9% volatile
131 North Macedonia 1.15 million 2010 down 2.0% rising
132 Guinea-Bissau 1.13 million 2010 up 2.2% volatile
133 Slovakia 1.09 million 2010 down 22.8% rising
134 Djibouti 1.09 million 2010 down 1.5% volatile
135 Latvia 1.07 million 2010 up 4.7% rising
136 Eswatini 1.05 million 2010 down 2.0% volatile
137 Taiwan 999,568 2010 up 1.8% volatile
138 Albania 905,853 2010 down 5.5% volatile
139 Sweden 714,494 2010 up 0.9% rising
140 Papua New Guinea 516,965 2010 up 13.8% volatile
141 Israel 496,148 2010 down 1.9% volatile
142 Gambia 490,846 2010 up 10.3% volatile
143 Bhutan 427,298 2010 up 2.3% volatile
144 Montenegro 380,354 2010 up 5.0% volatile
145 United Arab Emirates 320,012 2010 down 7.4% volatile
146 Slovenia 269,605 2010 down 6.9% rising
147 East Timor 258,097 2010 up 7.7% rising
148 Lebanon 231,348 2010 up 1.8% volatile
149 Kuwait 208,732 2010 down 13.7% volatile
150 Western Sahara 199,650 2010 down 0.4% volatile
151 Equatorial Guinea 179,992 2010 down 4.1% rising
152 Palestine 110,621 2010 down 7.2% volatile
153 Suriname 83,869 2010 up 11.2% volatile
154 Belize 80,714 2010 up 38.3% volatile
155 Trinidad and Tobago 75,394 2010 up 0.3% volatile
156 Luxembourg 63,546 2010 down 8.7% flat
157 Brunei 48,184 2010 up 21.2% volatile
158 Qatar 43,121 2010 up 3.8% volatile
159 Jamaica 25,445 2010 down 0.0% falling
160 New Caledonia 21,320 2010 down 70.4% falling
161 Fiji 14,172 2010 down 0.0% flat
162 Puerto Rico 12,366 2010 unchanged flat
163 Cyprus 8,961 2010 down 30.5% falling
164 Solomon Islands 1,890 2010 unchanged flat

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Has the world passed peak agricultural land? by country. Statizoid, drawing on Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/global-peak-agricultural-land/

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About this data

Indicator
Has the world passed peak agricultural land?
Source
Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 4,296 data points, 1780–2010
Last refreshed

Agricultural land is the sum of cropland and pasture used for grazing livestock. This is shown for three sources, which use different methods of estimation. While they disagree on how much land is used for agriculture, and the exact date that it peaked, they do all agree that we have passed the peak.