Land area in Least developed countries: UN classification

Least developed countries: UN classification: Land area was 20.36 million sq. km in 2023. β–² Rising

Latest (2023)
20.36 million sq. km
Change on year
down 0.0%
Rank
20th
of 48 groups
All-time high
20.36 million sq. km
in 2012
All-time low
16.61 million sq. km
in 1975
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Land area in Least developed countries: UN classification, 1961–2023

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M196119922023

Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.

Analysis

Least developed countries: UN classification recorded 20.36 million sq. km for land area in 2023.

That represents a change of down 0.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, land area in Least developed countries: UN classification peaked at 20.36 million sq. km in 2012 and was at its lowest, 16.61 million sq. km, in 1975.

That places Least developed countries: UN classification 20th out of 48 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 16.61 million sq. km 16.61 million sq. km 16.61 million sq. km 9
1970s 16.61 million sq. km 16.61 million sq. km 16.61 million sq. km 10
1980s 16.61 million sq. km 16.61 million sq. km 16.61 million sq. km 10
1990s 17.38 million sq. km 16.61 million sq. km 17.71 million sq. km 10
2000s 17.80 million sq. km 17.71 million sq. km 17.86 million sq. km 10
2010s 19.86 million sq. km 17.86 million sq. km 20.36 million sq. km 10
2020s 20.36 million sq. km 20.36 million sq. km 20.36 million sq. km 4

Countries ranked near Least developed countries: UN classification

  1. 17 Iran 1.62 million sq. km compare
  2. 18 Mongolia 1.56 million sq. km compare
  3. 19 Peru 1.28 million sq. km compare
  4. 20 Niger 1.27 million sq. km compare
  5. 21 Chad 1.26 million sq. km compare
  6. 22 Angola 1.25 million sq. km compare
  7. 23 Mali 1.22 million sq. km compare

See the full ranking of 263 places β†’

More agriculture & rural data for Least developed countries: UN classification

All data for Least developed countries: UN classification β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is land area in Least developed countries: UN classification?
Land area in Least developed countries: UN classification was 20.36 million sq. km in 2023, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
What is the highest land area recorded in Least developed countries: UN classification?
The highest recorded value was 20.36 million sq. km in 2012.
What is the lowest land area recorded in Least developed countries: UN classification?
The lowest recorded value was 16.61 million sq. km in 1975.
How does Least developed countries: UN classification rank for land area?
Least developed countries: UN classification ranks 20th out of 48 groups with data for 2023.
Is land area rising or falling in Least developed countries: UN classification?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Least developed countries: UN classification data come from?
The figures come from FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Land area (sq. km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Land area in Least developed countries: UN classification. Statizoid, drawing on FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 16 August 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/land-area-sq-km/least-developed-countries-un-classification/

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About this data

Indicator
Land area (sq. km)
Unit
sq. km
Source
FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
263 places, 15,310 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.