Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Madagascar
Madagascar: Share of land area used for arable agriculture was 5.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Madagascar, 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
Madagascar recorded 5.2% for share of land area used for arable agriculture in 2023.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land area used for arable agriculture in Madagascar peaked at 5.2% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 1961.
Madagascar ranks 133rd of 206 countries on this measure, 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 Madagascar, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.3% | — |
| 1962 | 3.3% | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 3.4% | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 3.4% | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 3.4% | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 3.4% | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 3.5% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 3.5% | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 3.5% | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 3.5% | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 3.6% | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 3.6% | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 3.6% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 3.7% | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 3.9% | +8.1% |
| 1976 | 3.9% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 4.2% | +6.7% |
| 1978 | 4.3% | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 4.3% | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 4.4% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 4.4% | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 4.4% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 4.5% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 4.5% | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 4.6% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 4.6% | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 4.6% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 4.6% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 4.7% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 4.7% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 4.7% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 4.8% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 5.0% | +4.3% |
| 1994 | 5.0% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 5.0% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 5.0% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 5.0% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 5.0% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 5.0% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5.0% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5.1% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 5.1% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5.1% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5.1% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5.2% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 5.2% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 5.2% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.9% | 3.5% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.9% | 4.7% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Madagascar
- 130 Bermuda 5.6% compare
- 131 Lao People's Democratic Republic 5.3% compare
- 132 Liberia 5.2% compare
- 134 American Samoa 5.2% compare
- 135 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 5.1% compare
- 136 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Madagascar
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.42 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.217 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 130.06 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0011 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.671 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 21.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 21.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land area used for arable agriculture in Madagascar?
- Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Madagascar was 5.2% 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 Madagascar?
- The highest recorded value was 5.2% in 2005.
- What is the lowest share of land area used for arable agriculture recorded in Madagascar?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 1961.
- How does Madagascar rank for share of land area used for arable agriculture?
- Madagascar ranks 133rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of land area used for arable agriculture rising or falling in Madagascar?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Madagascar 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.