What is the highest surface area recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?

The highest recorded value was 20.52 million sq. km in 2019.

What is the lowest surface area recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?

The lowest recorded value was 20.43 million sq. km in 2014.

How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for surface area?

Latin America & Caribbean ranks 23rd out of 45 groups with data for 2023.

Is surface area rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?

Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.

Surface area in Latin America & Caribbean

Name: Surface area in Latin America & Caribbean
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)

Latin America & Caribbean: Surface area was 20.51 million sq. km in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)

20.51 million sq. km

Change on year

down 0.0%

Rank

23rd

of 45 groups

All-time high

20.52 million sq. km

in 2019

All-time low

20.43 million sq. km

in 2014

Years of data

1961–2023

Surface area in Latin America & Caribbean, 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

The most recent figure for surface area in Latin America & Caribbean is 20.51 million sq. km, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, surface area in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 20.52 million sq. km in 2019 and was at its lowest, 20.43 million sq. km, in 2014.

Latin America & Caribbean ranks 23rd of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Surface area in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year

Annual values for Surface area (sq. km) in Latin America & Caribbean, 1961 to 2023.
Year	sq. km	Change
1961	20.45 million sq. km	—
1962	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1963	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1964	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1965	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1966	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1967	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1968	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1969	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1970	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1971	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1972	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1973	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1974	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1975	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1976	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1977	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1978	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1979	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1980	20.45 million sq. km	-0.0%
1981	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1982	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1983	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1984	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1985	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1986	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1987	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1988	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1989	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1990	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1991	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1992	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1993	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1994	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1995	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1996	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1997	20.45 million sq. km	+0.0%
1998	20.43 million sq. km	-0.1%
1999	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2000	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2001	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2002	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2003	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2004	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2005	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2006	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2007	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2008	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2009	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2010	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2011	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2012	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2013	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2014	20.43 million sq. km	-0.0%
2015	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2016	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2017	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2018	20.43 million sq. km	+0.0%
2019	20.52 million sq. km	+0.5%
2020	20.52 million sq. km	-0.0%
2021	20.52 million sq. km	+0.0%
2022	20.51 million sq. km	-0.0%
2023	20.51 million sq. km	-0.0%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	20.45 million sq. km	20.45 million sq. km	20.45 million sq. km	9
1970s	20.45 million sq. km	20.45 million sq. km	20.45 million sq. km	10
1980s	20.45 million sq. km	20.45 million sq. km	20.45 million sq. km	10
1990s	20.45 million sq. km	20.43 million sq. km	20.45 million sq. km	10
2000s	20.43 million sq. km	20.43 million sq. km	20.43 million sq. km	10
2010s	20.44 million sq. km	20.43 million sq. km	20.52 million sq. km	10
2020s	20.52 million sq. km	20.51 million sq. km	20.52 million sq. km	4

Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean

20 Chad 1.28 million sq. km compare
21 Niger 1.27 million sq. km compare
22 Angola 1.25 million sq. km compare
23 Mali 1.24 million sq. km compare
24 South Africa 1.22 million sq. km compare
25 Colombia 1.14 million sq. km compare
26 Ethiopia 1.14 million sq. km compare

See the full ranking of 263 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Latin America & Caribbean

Rural population, per capita 0.1849 units per person (2025)
Rural population 123.28 million (2025)
Rural population growth -0.6% (2025)
Rural population 18.5% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials exports 2.3% (2024)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 754.45 current US$ per person (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.47 % change on previous year (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.068 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 502.91 billion current US$ (2025)

All data for Latin America & Caribbean →

Frequently asked questions

What is surface area in Latin America & Caribbean?: Surface area in Latin America & Caribbean was 20.51 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 Latin America & Caribbean?: The highest recorded value was 20.52 million sq. km in 2019.
What is the lowest surface area recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?: The lowest recorded value was 20.43 million sq. km in 2014.
How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for surface area?: Latin America & Caribbean ranks 23rd out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
Is surface area rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?: Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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 Latin America & Caribbean. 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/latin-america-and-caribbean/

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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.