Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nigeria
Nigeria: Share of land area used for arable agriculture was 40.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria stood at 40.5%. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nigeria peaked at 40.5% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 26.0%, in 1961.
That places Nigeria 13th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 26.0% | — |
| 1962 | 26.2% | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 26.3% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 26.5% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 26.6% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 26.8% | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 27.0% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 27.1% | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 27.3% | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 27.5% | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 27.6% | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 27.8% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 27.9% | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 28.1% | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 28.3% | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 28.4% | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 28.6% | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 28.7% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 28.9% | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 29.1% | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 29.2% | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 29.4% | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 29.6% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 29.7% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 29.9% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 30.0% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 30.2% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 30.4% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 30.6% | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 30.8% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 31.8% | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 33.0% | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 33.0% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 34.0% | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 36.1% | +6.1% |
| 1996 | 36.3% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 36.5% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 37.3% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 38.4% | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 38.4% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 39.1% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 39.2% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 39.2% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 39.3% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 39.3% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 39.3% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 39.4% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 39.4% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 40.5% | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 39.5% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 39.5% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 39.5% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 39.6% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 39.6% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 39.6% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 39.7% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 39.7% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 40.0% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 40.5% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 40.5% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 40.5% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 40.5% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 40.5% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 26.6% | 26.0% | 27.3% | 9 |
| 1970s | 28.2% | 27.5% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 29.8% | 29.1% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 34.7% | 30.8% | 38.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 39.3% | 38.4% | 40.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.7% | 39.5% | 40.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 40.5% | 40.5% | 40.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3622 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nigeria?
- Share of land area used for arable agriculture in Nigeria was 40.5% 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 40.5% in 2009.
- What is the lowest share of land area used for arable agriculture recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.0% in 1961.
- How does Nigeria rank for share of land area used for arable agriculture?
- Nigeria ranks 13th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of land area used for arable agriculture rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.