Permanent cropland (% of land area) in South Asia
South Asia: Permanent cropland (% of land area) was 4.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Permanent cropland in South Asia, 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
South Asia recorded 4.9% for permanent cropland in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, permanent cropland in South Asia peaked at 4.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1967.
South Asia ranks 2nd of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Permanent cropland (% of land area) in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.9% | — |
| 1962 | 2.1% | +8.8% |
| 1963 | 1.8% | -15.9% |
| 1964 | 1.7% | -3.1% |
| 1965 | 1.7% | -3.2% |
| 1966 | 1.6% | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 1.6% | -2.0% |
| 1968 | 1.7% | +5.2% |
| 1969 | 1.7% | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 1.7% | +2.4% |
| 1971 | 1.8% | +3.7% |
| 1972 | 1.8% | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 1.8% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 1.8% | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 1.8% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 1.9% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 2.0% | +4.9% |
| 1978 | 1.9% | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 1.9% | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 2.0% | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 2.0% | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 2.1% | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 2.1% | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 2.2% | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 2.2% | -2.1% |
| 1986 | 2.2% | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 2.3% | +4.9% |
| 1988 | 2.3% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 2.3% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 2.4% | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 2.5% | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 2.5% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | +7.6% |
| 1994 | 2.7% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 3.0% | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 3.0% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 3.1% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 3.1% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 3.1% | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 3.2% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 3.2% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 3.5% | +8.2% |
| 2005 | 3.6% | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 3.8% | +5.9% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 4.1% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 4.2% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 4.4% | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 4.5% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 4.5% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 4.3% | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 4.3% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 4.3% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 4.4% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 4.6% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 4.7% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 4.8% | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 4.8% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 4.9% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 4.9% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.4% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.5% | 3.1% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.4% | 4.2% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.8% | 4.7% | 4.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
- 1 Tuvalu 100.0% compare
- 2 Comoros 41.3% compare
- 3 Sao Tome and Principe 40.9% compare
- 4 Kiribati 39.5% compare
- 5 Marshall Islands 37.4% compare
More agriculture & rural data for South Asia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 714.12 billion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6421 units per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2025)
- Rural population 64.2% (2025)
- Rural population 1.09 billion (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.3704 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 15.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is permanent cropland in South Asia?
- Permanent cropland in South Asia was 4.9% 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest permanent cropland recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1967.
- How does South Asia rank for permanent cropland?
- South Asia ranks 2nd out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is permanent cropland rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia 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.