Permanent cropland (% of land area) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Permanent cropland (% of land area) was 8.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Permanent cropland in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria is 8.6%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 28.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, permanent cropland in Nigeria peaked at 8.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 1967.
Nigeria ranks 32nd of 201 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Permanent cropland (% of land area) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.8% | — |
| 1962 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 3.7% | -2.9% |
| 1967 | 3.3% | -11.8% |
| 1968 | 3.3% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 3.4% | +3.3% |
| 1970 | 3.5% | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 3.5% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 3.7% | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 3.8% | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 4.1% | +5.7% |
| 1985 | 4.3% | +5.4% |
| 1986 | 4.4% | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 4.4% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 4.4% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 4.4% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 4.4% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 4.7% | +7.5% |
| 1992 | 4.8% | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 5.3% | +9.1% |
| 1994 | 5.4% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 5.7% | +6.1% |
| 1996 | 5.7% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 5.8% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 5.9% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 6.0% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 6.4% | +5.5% |
| 2001 | 6.6% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 6.7% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 6.8% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 6.9% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 7.2% | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 6.8% | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 7.0% | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 7.0% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 7.3% | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 7.2% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 7.1% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 7.2% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 6.8% | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 6.7% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 6.8% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 6.9% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 7.0% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 7.3% | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 7.3% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 7.8% | +6.5% |
| 2021 | 7.9% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 8.3% | +5.5% |
| 2023 | 8.6% | +3.7% |
| 2024 | 8.6% | +0.1% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 8.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.3%, 3.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 8.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.5%, 5.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.7% | 3.3% | 3.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.1% | 3.8% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.4% | 4.4% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.9% | 6.4% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.0% | 6.7% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.2% | 7.8% | 8.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.9222 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.1938 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.5433 % 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 0.2993 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is permanent cropland in Nigeria?
- Permanent cropland in Nigeria was 8.6% 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest permanent cropland recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 1967.
- How does Nigeria rank for permanent cropland?
- Nigeria ranks 32nd out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is permanent cropland rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.