Permanent cropland (% of land area) in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Permanent cropland (% of land area) was 1.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Permanent cropland in Least developed countries, 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 Least developed countries is 1.1%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 31.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, permanent cropland in Least developed countries peaked at 1.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1961.
That places Least developed countries 36th out of 47 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Permanent cropland (% of land area) in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.3% | — |
| 1962 | 0.4% | +4.4% |
| 1963 | 0.4% | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 0.4% | +6.2% |
| 1965 | 0.4% | +1.2% |
| 1966 | 0.4% | +3.2% |
| 1967 | 0.4% | +1.2% |
| 1968 | 0.4% | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 0.4% | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 1971 | 0.4% | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 0.4% | +1.4% |
| 1973 | 0.4% | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | +1.2% |
| 1975 | 0.5% | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 0.5% | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | +2.1% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 0.5% | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 0.5% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 0.5% | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 0.5% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 0.5% | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 0.5% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 0.5% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 0.5% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 0.5% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 0.5% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 0.5% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 0.6% | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 0.6% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 0.6% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 0.6% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 0.6% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 0.6% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 0.6% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 0.7% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 0.7% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 0.7% | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 0.8% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | -10.9% |
| 2013 | 0.8% | +6.8% |
| 2014 | 0.8% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 0.8% | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 0.8% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 1.0% | +9.2% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 33 Guinea-Bissau 8.3% compare
- 34 Vanuatu 8.2% compare
- 35 Greece 8.2% compare
- 36 Italy 8.1% compare
- 37 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7.7% compare
- 38 Costa Rica 7.5% compare
- 39 El Salvador 7.3% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Least developed countries
- Rural population 63.4% (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6336 units per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 3.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2019)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 20.4% (2025)
- Rural population 769.36 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 337.24 billion current US$ (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is permanent cropland in Least developed countries?
- Permanent cropland in Least developed countries was 1.1% 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 Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest permanent cropland recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1961.
- How does Least developed countries rank for permanent cropland?
- Least developed countries ranks 36th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is permanent cropland rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least developed countries 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.
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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.