What is the highest surface area recorded in Europe & Central Asia?

The highest recorded value was 28.90 million sq. km in 2023.

What is the lowest surface area recorded in Europe & Central Asia?

The lowest recorded value was 28.38 million sq. km in 1961.

How does Europe & Central Asia rank for surface area?

Europe & Central Asia ranks 12th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.

Is surface area rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?

Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.

Surface area in Europe & Central Asia

Name: Surface area in Europe & Central Asia
Creator: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
License: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)

Europe & Central Asia: Surface area was 28.90 million sq. km in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)

28.90 million sq. km

Change on year

up 0.0%

Rank

12th

of 45 groups

All-time high

28.90 million sq. km

in 2023

All-time low

28.38 million sq. km

in 1961

Years of data

1961–2023

Surface area in Europe & Central Asia, 1961–2023

Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.

Analysis

In 2023, surface area in Europe & Central Asia stood at 28.90 million sq. km. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, surface area in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 28.90 million sq. km in 2023 and was at its lowest, 28.38 million sq. km, in 1961.

Europe & Central Asia ranks 12th of 45 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

Surface area in Europe & Central Asia, year by year

Annual values for Surface area (sq. km) in Europe & Central Asia, 1961 to 2023.
Year	sq. km	Change
1961	28.38 million sq. km	—
1962	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1963	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1964	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1965	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1966	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1967	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1968	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1969	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1970	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1971	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1972	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1973	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1974	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1975	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1976	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1977	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1978	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1979	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1980	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1981	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1982	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1983	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1984	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1985	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1986	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1987	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1988	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1989	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1990	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1991	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1992	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1993	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1994	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1995	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1996	28.38 million sq. km	+0.0%
1997	28.45 million sq. km	+0.2%
1998	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1999	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2000	28.45 million sq. km	-0.0%
2001	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2002	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2003	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2004	28.45 million sq. km	-0.0%
2005	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2006	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2007	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2008	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2009	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2010	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2011	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2012	28.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
2013	28.80 million sq. km	+1.2%
2014	28.80 million sq. km	-0.0%
2015	28.81 million sq. km	+0.0%
2016	28.81 million sq. km	+0.0%
2017	28.81 million sq. km	-0.0%
2018	28.81 million sq. km	+0.0%
2019	28.81 million sq. km	+0.0%
2020	28.90 million sq. km	+0.3%
2021	28.90 million sq. km	+0.0%
2022	28.90 million sq. km	-0.0%
2023	28.90 million sq. km	+0.0%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	28.38 million sq. km	28.38 million sq. km	28.38 million sq. km	9
1970s	28.38 million sq. km	28.38 million sq. km	28.38 million sq. km	10
1980s	28.38 million sq. km	28.38 million sq. km	28.38 million sq. km	10
1990s	28.40 million sq. km	28.38 million sq. km	28.45 million sq. km	10
2000s	28.45 million sq. km	28.45 million sq. km	28.45 million sq. km	10
2010s	28.70 million sq. km	28.45 million sq. km	28.81 million sq. km	10
2020s	28.90 million sq. km	28.90 million sq. km	28.90 million sq. km	4

Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia

9 Kazakhstan 2.72 million sq. km compare
10 Algeria 2.38 million sq. km compare
11 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2.34 million sq. km compare
12 Saudi Arabia 2.15 million sq. km compare
13 Mexico 1.96 million sq. km compare
14 Indonesia 1.92 million sq. km compare
15 Sudan 1.88 million sq. km compare

See the full ranking of 263 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Europe & Central Asia

Rural population, per capita 0.2593 units per person (2025)
Rural population 241.78 million (2025)
Rural population growth 0.0% (2025)
Rural population 25.9% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 690.4 current US$ per person (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.88 % change on previous year (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.02 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 643.81 billion current US$ (2025)

All data for Europe & Central Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is surface area in Europe & Central Asia?: Surface area in Europe & Central Asia was 28.90 million sq. km in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
What is the highest surface area recorded in Europe & Central Asia?: The highest recorded value was 28.90 million sq. km in 2023.
What is the lowest surface area recorded in Europe & Central Asia?: The lowest recorded value was 28.38 million sq. km in 1961.
How does Europe & Central Asia rank for surface area?: Europe & Central Asia ranks 12th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
Is surface area rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?: Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Europe & Central Asia data come from?: The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Surface area (sq. km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Surface area in Europe & Central Asia. Statizoid, drawing on FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/surface-area-sq-km/europe-and-central-asia/

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About this data

Indicator: Surface area (sq. km)
Unit: sq. km
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 263 places, 16,395 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed: 20 August 2026

Surface area is a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.