Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nepal
Nepal: Share of land area used for arable agriculture was 12.6% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nepal, 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
In 2023, share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nepal stood at 12.6%. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nepal peaked at 16.4% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 2022.
That places Nepal 81st out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 12.6% | — |
| 1962 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 12.7% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 12.6% | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 12.7% | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 12.7% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 12.7% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 13.7% | +7.4% |
| 1971 | 13.7% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 14.4% | +5.2% |
| 1973 | 15.1% | +5.4% |
| 1974 | 15.2% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 15.3% | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 15.5% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 15.6% | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 15.7% | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 15.8% | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 15.9% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 16.0% | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 16.0% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 16.1% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 16.1% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 16.1% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 16.1% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 16.2% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 16.2% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 16.2% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 16.2% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 16.3% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 16.3% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 16.3% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 16.3% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 16.3% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 16.4% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 16.4% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 16.4% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 16.4% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 16.4% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 16.4% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 16.3% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 16.1% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 16.0% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 15.9% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 15.8% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 15.6% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 15.5% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 15.3% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 15.2% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 15.1% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 14.9% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 14.6% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 14.4% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 14.2% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 13.9% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 13.7% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 13.5% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 13.3% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 13.0% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 12.8% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 12.6% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 12.6% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 15.0% | 13.7% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.1% | 15.9% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.3% | 16.2% | 16.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.9% | 15.3% | 16.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 13.3% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.8% | 12.6% | 13.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More agriculture & rural data for Nepal
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 4.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2156 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 331.1 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.7937 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.33 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 21.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 21.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.6% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nepal?
- Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nepal was 12.6% 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 16.4% in 1999.
- What is the lowest share of land area used for arable agriculture recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 2022.
- How does Nepal rank for share of land area used for arable agriculture?
- Nepal ranks 81st out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of land area used for arable agriculture rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Nepal 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.