Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Italy
Italy: Share of land area used for arable agriculture was 24.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Italy, 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 Italy is 24.0%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land area used for arable agriculture in Italy peaked at 43.7% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 22.3%, in 2015.
Italy ranks 43rd of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Italy, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 43.7% | — |
| 1962 | 43.5% | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 43.1% | -0.9% |
| 1964 | 42.8% | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 42.6% | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 42.3% | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 42.1% | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 42.0% | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 41.6% | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 40.7% | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 32.3% | -20.6% |
| 1972 | 31.9% | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 31.6% | -1.1% |
| 1974 | 31.7% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 31.7% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 31.8% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 31.8% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 32.1% | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 32.2% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 32.2% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 32.2% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 32.2% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 31.0% | -3.5% |
| 1984 | 30.9% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 30.8% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 30.9% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 30.8% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 30.5% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 30.6% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 30.6% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 30.3% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 29.8% | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 29.1% | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 28.3% | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 28.2% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 28.3% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 28.1% | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 28.3% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 29.1% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 28.7% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 28.2% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 28.0% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 26.9% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 27.0% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 26.3% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 24.9% | -5.2% |
| 2007 | 24.2% | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 25.4% | +4.6% |
| 2009 | 23.6% | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 23.8% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 22.7% | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 24.1% | +5.9% |
| 2013 | 23.1% | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 22.8% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 22.3% | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 22.6% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 22.8% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 22.7% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 23.4% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 24.3% | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 24.3% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 24.0% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 24.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 42.6% | 41.6% | 43.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 32.8% | 31.6% | 40.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 31.2% | 30.5% | 32.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 29.0% | 28.1% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.3% | 23.6% | 28.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.0% | 22.3% | 24.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.1% | 24.0% | 24.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 40 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 25.0% compare
- 41 Guinea 24.4% compare
- 42 Syrian Arab Republic 24.0% compare
- 44 Luxembourg 23.8% compare
- 45 Cambodia 23.3% compare
- 46 Spain 23.0% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Italy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.12 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0207 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 894.54 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.3131 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3032 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land area used for arable agriculture in Italy?
- Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Italy was 24.0% 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 43.7% in 1961.
- What is the lowest share of land area used for arable agriculture recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.3% in 2015.
- How does Italy rank for share of land area used for arable agriculture?
- Italy ranks 43rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of land area used for arable agriculture rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy 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.
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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.