Permanent cropland in South Asia
South Asia: Permanent cropland was 5.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Permanent cropland in South Asia, 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
South Asia recorded 5.0% for permanent cropland in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, permanent cropland in South Asia peaked at 5.0% in 2023 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 63 years of available data.
Permanent cropland 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% | +9.5% |
| 1969 | 1.7% | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 1.7% | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 1.8% | +5.3% |
| 1972 | 1.8% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 1.9% | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 1.9% | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 1.9% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 1.9% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 1.9% | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 1.9% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1.9% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 2.0% | +5.2% |
| 1981 | 2.0% | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 2.0% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 2.1% | +4.3% |
| 1984 | 2.1% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 2.1% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 2.2% | +3.0% |
| 1987 | 2.3% | +6.8% |
| 1988 | 2.3% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 2.3% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 2.4% | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 2.5% | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 2.6% | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 3.0% | +5.5% |
| 1997 | 3.0% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 3.0% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 3.2% | +6.1% |
| 2000 | 3.2% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 3.3% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 3.4% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 3.5% | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 3.6% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 3.6% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 3.7% | +4.7% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 3.9% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 4.1% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 4.2% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 4.4% | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 4.5% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 4.5% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 4.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 4.5% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 4.5% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4.6% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 4.6% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 4.7% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 4.8% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 4.9% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | +2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.8% | 2.4% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.6% | 3.2% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.4% | 4.2% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.8% | 4.7% | 5.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
- 1 Tuvalu 60.0% compare
- 2 Sao Tome and Principe 39.6% compare
- 3 Kiribati 39.5% compare
- 4 Marshall Islands 36.1% compare
- 5 Côte d'Ivoire 29.9% compare
More agriculture & rural data for South Asia
- Rural population, per capita 0.6421 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 15.6% (2025)
- Rural population 1.09 billion (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Rural population 64.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.0% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 421.99 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -2.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.156 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is permanent cropland in South Asia?
- Permanent cropland in South Asia was 5.0% 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.0% in 2023.
- 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 2023.
- Is permanent cropland rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. 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
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.