Share of land area used for agriculture in Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea: Share of land area used for agriculture was 16.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of land area used for agriculture in Republic of Korea, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
Republic of Korea recorded 16.1% for share of land area used for agriculture in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land area used for agriculture in Republic of Korea peaked at 24.3% in 1968 and was at its lowest, 16.1%, in 2023.
Republic of Korea ranks 163rd of 209 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Share of land area used for agriculture in Republic of Korea, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 21.9% | — |
| 1962 | 21.6% | -1.5% |
| 1963 | 21.8% | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 22.7% | +4.3% |
| 1965 | 23.6% | +4.0% |
| 1966 | 24.0% | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 24.2% | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 24.3% | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 24.2% | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 24.1% | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 23.8% | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 23.5% | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 23.5% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 23.5% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 23.6% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 23.5% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 23.5% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 23.5% | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 23.3% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 23.3% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 23.3% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 23.3% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 23.2% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 23.1% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 23.0% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 23.0% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 23.0% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 23.0% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 22.8% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 22.6% | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 22.4% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 22.1% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 22.0% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 21.7% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 21.2% | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 20.8% | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 20.6% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 20.4% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 20.3% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 20.5% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 20.1% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 19.8% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 19.6% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 19.6% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 19.4% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 19.2% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 19.0% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 18.7% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 18.5% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 18.2% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 18.1% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 18.4% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 18.2% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 17.9% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 17.8% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 17.4% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 17.2% | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 16.9% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 16.8% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 16.6% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 16.4% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 16.2% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 16.1% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 23.1% | 21.6% | 24.3% | 9 |
| 1970s | 23.6% | 23.3% | 24.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 23.1% | 22.8% | 23.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.4% | 20.3% | 22.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.4% | 18.5% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.7% | 16.8% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.3% | 16.1% | 16.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Korea
- 160 Fiji 17.1% compare
- 161 Saint Lucia 16.3% compare
- 162 Iceland 16.2% compare
- 164 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 15.5% compare
- 165 Vanuatu 15.3% compare
- 166 American Samoa 14.8% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Republic of Korea
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 0.2516 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0146 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 530.46 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1591 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1883 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land area used for agriculture in Republic of Korea?
- Share of land area used for agriculture in Republic of Korea was 16.1% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of land area used for agriculture recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 24.3% in 1968.
- What is the lowest share of land area used for agriculture recorded in Republic of Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.1% in 2023.
- How does Republic of Korea rank for share of land area used for agriculture?
- Republic of Korea ranks 163rd out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of land area used for agriculture rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of land area used for agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of land area used for agriculture, measured as a percentage of total land area. Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures.