Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Belize
Belize: Share of land area used for arable agriculture was 4.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Belize, 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
The most recent figure for share of land area used for arable agriculture in Belize is 4.4%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 28.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land area used for arable agriculture in Belize peaked at 4.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1961.
That places Belize 139th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Belize, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.6% | — |
| 1962 | 1.6% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 1.6% | +2.8% |
| 1964 | 1.6% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 1.6% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 1.7% | +2.7% |
| 1967 | 1.7% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1.7% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 1.7% | +2.6% |
| 1970 | 1.7% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1.8% | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 1.8% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 1.8% | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 1.8% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.8% | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 1.8% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 1.9% | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 1.9% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1.9% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 2.0% | +4.7% |
| 1981 | 2.0% | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 2.0% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 2.0% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 2.0% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1.9% | -6.5% |
| 1986 | 1.9% | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 2.1% | +11.4% |
| 1988 | 2.2% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 2.3% | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 2.3% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 2.4% | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 2.5% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 2.6% | +7.1% |
| 1994 | 2.6% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 2.7% | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 2.8% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 2.8% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 2.8% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 3.1% | +7.7% |
| 2003 | 3.1% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 3.1% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 3.1% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 3.1% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 3.2% | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 3.4% | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 3.9% | +12.8% |
| 2016 | 3.9% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 3.9% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 3.9% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 4.0% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 4.3% | +6.5% |
| 2021 | 4.4% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 4.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 4.4% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.8% | 1.7% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.0% | 2.8% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.6% | 3.3% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belize
- 136 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5.1% compare
- 137 Zambia 5.1% compare
- 138 Trinidad and Tobago 4.9% compare
- 140 Saint Lucia 4.4% compare
- 141 Georgia 4.4% compare
- 142 Canada 4.3% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Belize
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0795 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 610.5 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5844 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 7.9% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 7.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land area used for arable agriculture in Belize?
- Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Belize was 4.4% 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 arable agriculture recorded in Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 4.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of land area used for arable agriculture recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1961.
- How does Belize rank for share of land area used for arable agriculture?
- Belize ranks 139th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of land area used for arable agriculture rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belize 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 arable agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The share of land area used for arable agriculture, measured as a percentage of total land area. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow.