Permanent cropland (% of land area) in Kenya
Kenya: Permanent cropland (% of land area) was 1.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Permanent cropland in Kenya, 1961–2024
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
The most recent figure for permanent cropland in Kenya is 1.9%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 7.8% on the previous year and up 69.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, permanent cropland in Kenya peaked at 1.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1961.
Kenya ranks 95th of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Permanent cropland (% of land area) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.4% | — |
| 1962 | 0.4% | +3.6% |
| 1963 | 0.4% | +3.5% |
| 1964 | 0.4% | +3.4% |
| 1965 | 0.5% | +3.3% |
| 1966 | 0.5% | +3.2% |
| 1967 | 0.5% | +3.1% |
| 1968 | 0.5% | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 0.5% | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 0.5% | +2.8% |
| 1971 | 0.5% | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 0.6% | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 0.6% | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 0.6% | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 0.8% | +41.2% |
| 1976 | 0.8% | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 0.8% | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | -25.4% |
| 1979 | 0.6% | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 0.7% | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 0.7% | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 0.7% | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 0.7% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 0.7% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 0.7% | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 0.8% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 0.8% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 0.8% | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 0.8% | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 0.8% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 0.9% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 0.9% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | -23.9% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | +3.9% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 0.8% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 0.8% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 0.8% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 0.9% | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 1.0% | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 1.0% | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 1.1% | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 1.3% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 1.3% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | +24.2% |
| 2024 | 1.9% | +7.8% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 1.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.3%, 80% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 1.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.5%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Permanent cropland (% of land area) in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | +41.2% | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| 1978 | -25.4% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More agriculture & rural data for Kenya
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate -0.9835 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0001 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.1186 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate -0.2405 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.4888 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 16.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2316 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 547.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is permanent cropland in Kenya?
- Permanent cropland in Kenya was 1.9% in 2024, 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 1.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest permanent cropland recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1961.
- How does Kenya rank for permanent cropland?
- Kenya ranks 95th out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is permanent cropland rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 69.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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 — 64 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.