Permanent cropland in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Permanent cropland was 2.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Permanent cropland in Africa Western and Central, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, permanent cropland in Africa Western and Central stood at 2.9%. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and up 37.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, permanent cropland in Africa Western and Central peaked at 2.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1961.
That places Africa Western and Central 10th out of 47 groups 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.
Permanent cropland in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.9% | — |
| 1962 | 0.9% | +1.7% |
| 1963 | 0.9% | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 0.9% | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 0.9% | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 0.9% | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 0.9% | -4.0% |
| 1968 | 0.9% | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 0.9% | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 0.9% | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 0.9% | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 0.9% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 0.9% | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 1.0% | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 1.0% | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 1.0% | +1.9% |
| 1977 | 1.0% | +3.6% |
| 1978 | 1.1% | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 1.1% | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 1.1% | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 1.1% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 1.1% | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 1.1% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 1.2% | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 1.2% | +5.0% |
| 1986 | 1.3% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 1.3% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 1.3% | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 1.3% | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 1.3% | +4.1% |
| 1991 | 1.3% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 1.3% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | +9.0% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 1.5% | +8.6% |
| 1996 | 1.5% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 1.5% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 1.6% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 1.6% | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 1.7% | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 1.7% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 1.8% | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 1.8% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 1.9% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 1.9% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 2.0% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 2.0% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 2.0% | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 2.1% | +5.3% |
| 2013 | 2.1% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 2.3% | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 2.3% | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 2.4% | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 2.6% | +7.9% |
| 2019 | 2.6% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 2.7% | +4.0% |
| 2021 | 2.7% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 2.9% | +4.6% |
| 2023 | 2.9% | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More agriculture & rural data for Africa Western and Central
- Rural population, per capita 0.4652 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 21.9% (2025)
- Rural population 247.88 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.0% (2025)
- Rural population 46.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 4.2% (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 350.89 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 11.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2193 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is permanent cropland in Africa Western and Central?
- Permanent cropland in Africa Western and Central was 2.9% in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest permanent cropland recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest permanent cropland recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1961.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for permanent cropland?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 10th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is permanent cropland rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Permanent cropland (% of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Permanent cropland is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber.