Permanent cropland in Malawi
Malawi: Permanent cropland was 2.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Permanent cropland in Malawi, 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 Malawi stood at 2.1%. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, permanent cropland in Malawi peaked at 2.1% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1961.
Malawi ranks 85th of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Permanent cropland in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.6% | — |
| 1962 | 0.6% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.6% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.6% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.7% | +5.0% |
| 1966 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.7% | +3.2% |
| 1968 | 0.7% | +3.1% |
| 1969 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.7% | +4.5% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.8% | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 0.8% | +4.2% |
| 1978 | 0.8% | +4.0% |
| 1979 | 0.8% | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | +12.5% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1.1% | +11.1% |
| 1984 | 1.1% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1.2% | +15.0% |
| 1986 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1.3% | +4.3% |
| 1988 | 1.3% | +4.2% |
| 1989 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 1.4% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.4% | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.6% | +11.1% |
| 2014 | 2.1% | +33.3% |
| 2015 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.4% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 82 Antigua and Barbuda 2.3% compare
- 83 Colombia 2.2% compare
- 84 Armenia 2.2% compare
- 86 Republic of Korea 2.1% compare
- 87 Cayman Islands 2.1% compare
- 88 North Korea 2.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 24.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3003 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 201.66 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.8241 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is permanent cropland in Malawi?
- Permanent cropland in Malawi was 2.1% 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 2.1% in 2014.
- What is the lowest permanent cropland recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for permanent cropland?
- Malawi ranks 85th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is permanent cropland rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.