Share of land area used for arable agriculture in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Share of land area used for arable agriculture was 0.7% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in United Arab Emirates, 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 United Arab Emirates is 0.7%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 34.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of land area used for arable agriculture in United Arab Emirates peaked at 1.1% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1961.
That places United Arab Emirates 193rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of land area used for arable agriculture in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.1% | — |
| 1962 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.1% | +20.0% |
| 1967 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.1% | +16.7% |
| 1971 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.1% | +14.3% |
| 1974 | 0.1% | +12.5% |
| 1975 | 0.2% | +22.2% |
| 1976 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.2% | +9.1% |
| 1978 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.2% | +33.3% |
| 1981 | 0.3% | +18.7% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | -5.3% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | +27.8% |
| 1984 | 0.3% | +4.3% |
| 1985 | 0.4% | +8.3% |
| 1986 | 0.4% | +11.5% |
| 1987 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.5% | +20.7% |
| 1991 | 0.5% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | +8.6% |
| 1993 | 0.6% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 0.6% | +5.0% |
| 1995 | 0.6% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | +7.0% |
| 1997 | 0.6% | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | -20.0% |
| 1999 | 0.6% | +19.4% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | +39.5% |
| 2001 | 1.0% | +18.3% |
| 2002 | 1.1% | +5.6% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | -14.7% |
| 2004 | 0.9% | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 1.0% | +7.9% |
| 2006 | 0.7% | -25.6% |
| 2007 | 0.6% | -11.9% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | +15.7% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -10.9% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | -17.7% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | +17.3% |
| 2015 | 0.6% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | +18.0% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
- 190 Mongolia 0.7% compare
- 191 Papua New Guinea 0.7% compare
- 192 French Polynesia 0.7% compare
- 194 Montenegro 0.7% compare
- 195 Palau 0.7% compare
- 196 Guyana 0.5% compare
More agriculture & rural data for United Arab Emirates
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0077 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 386.83 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 3.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1404 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.8% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.4% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of land area used for arable agriculture in United Arab Emirates?
- Share of land area used for arable agriculture in United Arab Emirates was 0.7% 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 United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 2002.
- What is the lowest share of land area used for arable agriculture recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1961.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for share of land area used for arable agriculture?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 193rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of land area used for arable agriculture rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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.