Permanent cropland (% of land area) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Permanent cropland (% of land area) was 19.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Permanent cropland in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka is 19.5%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, permanent cropland in Sri Lanka peaked at 20.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 15.0%, in 2006.
That places Sri Lanka 11th out of 201 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 15.8% | — |
| 1962 | 16.5% | +4.6% |
| 1963 | 16.5% | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 16.6% | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 16.7% | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 16.3% | -2.2% |
| 1967 | 16.5% | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 16.9% | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 16.8% | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 16.7% | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 16.9% | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 17.0% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 16.2% | -4.6% |
| 1974 | 16.3% | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 16.4% | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 16.5% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 16.4% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 16.4% | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 16.4% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 16.9% | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 16.4% | -2.7% |
| 1982 | 16.0% | -2.6% |
| 1983 | 15.9% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 15.8% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 16.2% | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 16.3% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 16.2% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 16.3% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 16.3% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 16.1% | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 16.1% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 16.1% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 16.0% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 15.9% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 15.9% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 16.0% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 16.1% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 16.1% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 16.3% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 16.1% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 16.1% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 15.9% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 15.9% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 15.1% | -4.8% |
| 2005 | 15.2% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 15.0% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 15.0% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 15.3% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 15.5% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 16.6% | +7.4% |
| 2011 | 16.8% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 17.2% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 16.9% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 17.7% | +4.6% |
| 2015 | 18.3% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 17.7% | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 18.0% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 18.1% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 19.9% | +10.1% |
| 2020 | 20.3% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 19.5% | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 19.9% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 19.4% | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 19.5% | +0.6% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 19.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.2%, 8.7× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 19.5% is above the median for South Asia, which is 4.1%, 4.8× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 16.5% | 15.8% | 16.9% | 9 |
| 1970s | 16.5% | 16.2% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.2% | 15.8% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.1% | 15.9% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.5% | 15.0% | 16.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.7% | 16.6% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.7% | 19.4% | 20.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More agriculture & rural data for Sri Lanka
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.0051 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.109 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.0043 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.1293 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 9.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0836 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 418.3 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9172 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is permanent cropland in Sri Lanka?
- Permanent cropland in Sri Lanka was 19.5% 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest permanent cropland recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.0% in 2006.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for permanent cropland?
- Sri Lanka ranks 11th out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is permanent cropland rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.