Permanent cropland in North America
North America: Permanent cropland was 0.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Permanent cropland in North America, 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 North America stood at 0.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, permanent cropland in North America peaked at 0.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1977.
North America ranks 47th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Permanent cropland in North America, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.1% | — |
| 1962 | 0.1% | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 0.1% | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 0.1% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.1% | -1.3% |
| 1967 | 0.1% | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 0.1% | -1.4% |
| 1969 | 0.1% | -1.4% |
| 1970 | 0.1% | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 0.1% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 0.1% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 0.1% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 0.1% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 0.1% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 0.1% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 0.1% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 0.1% | +7.0% |
| 1979 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.1% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 0.1% | +8.6% |
| 1983 | 0.1% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 0.1% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 0.1% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 0.1% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 0.1% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 0.1% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 0.1% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 0.1% | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 0.1% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 0.1% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 0.2% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 0.2% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 0.2% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 0.2% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 0.2% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 0.2% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 0.2% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 0.2% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 0.2% | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 0.2% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 0.2% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 44 Bangladesh 7.1% compare
- 45 British Virgin Islands 6.7% compare
- 46 Cuba 6.3% compare
- 47 Jamaica 6.3% compare
- 48 Syrian Arab Republic 5.7% compare
- 49 Ecuador 5.6% compare
- 50 Benin 5.5% compare
More agriculture & rural data for North America
- Rural population, per capita 0.1951 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.0% (2021)
- Rural population 74.83 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.2% (2025)
- Rural population 19.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 691.3 current US$ per person (2021)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 11.18 % change on previous year (2021)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0099 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is permanent cropland in North America?
- Permanent cropland in North America was 0.2% 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 North America?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest permanent cropland recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1977.
- How does North America rank for permanent cropland?
- North America ranks 47th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is permanent cropland rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America 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
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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.