Land area in North America
North America: Land area was 17.94 million sq. km in 2023. β¬ Flat
Land area in North America, 1961β2023
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
The most recent figure for land area in North America is 17.94 million sq. km, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land area in North America peaked at 18.13 million sq. km in 2000 and was at its lowest, 17.94 million sq. km, in 2021.
North America ranks 26th of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.12 million sq. km | 18.12 million sq. km | 18.12 million sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 18.12 million sq. km | 18.12 million sq. km | 18.12 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.12 million sq. km | 18.12 million sq. km | 18.12 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.12 million sq. km | 18.12 million sq. km | 18.12 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.12 million sq. km | 18.11 million sq. km | 18.13 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.11 million sq. km | 18.11 million sq. km | 18.11 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.98 million sq. km | 17.94 million sq. km | 18.11 million sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 23 Angola 1.25 million sq. km compare
- 24 Mali 1.22 million sq. km compare
- 25 South Africa 1.21 million sq. km compare
- 26 Ethiopia 1.13 million sq. km compare
- 27 Colombia 1.11 million sq. km compare
- 28 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 1.08 million sq. km compare
- 29 Mauritania 1.03 million sq. km compare
More agriculture & rural data for North America
- Rural population, per capita 0.1951 units per person (2025)
- Rural population 74.83 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.2% (2025)
- Rural population 19.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 691.3 current US$ per person (2021)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 11.18 % change on previous year (2021)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0099 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 256.06 billion current US$ (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land area in North America?
- Land area in North America was 17.94 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 North America?
- The highest recorded value was 18.13 million sq. km in 2000.
- What is the lowest land area recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.94 million sq. km in 2021.
- How does North America rank for land area?
- North America ranks 26th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is land area rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this North America 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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About this data
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.