Surface area in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Surface area was 20.77 million sq. km in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
20.77 million sq. km
Change on year
up 0.0%
Rank
21st
of 47 groups
All-time high
20.78 million sq. km
in 2012
All-time low
20.72 million sq. km
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Surface area in Least developed countries, 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
Least developed countries recorded 20.77 million sq. km for surface area in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, surface area in Least developed countries peaked at 20.78 million sq. km in 2012 and was at its lowest, 20.72 million sq. km, in 1961.
Least developed countries ranks 21st of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Surface area in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | sq. km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 20.72 million sq. km | — |
| 1962 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 20.72 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 20.76 million sq. km | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 20.76 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 20.76 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 20.76 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 20.76 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 20.76 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 20.76 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 20.76 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 20.78 million sq. km | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 20.78 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 20.77 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 20.77 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 20.77 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 20.78 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 20.77 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 20.77 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 20.77 million sq. km | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 20.77 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 20.77 million sq. km | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 20.77 million sq. km | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20.72 million sq. km | 20.72 million sq. km | 20.72 million sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 20.72 million sq. km | 20.72 million sq. km | 20.72 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.72 million sq. km | 20.72 million sq. km | 20.72 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.72 million sq. km | 20.72 million sq. km | 20.72 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.74 million sq. km | 20.72 million sq. km | 20.76 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.77 million sq. km | 20.76 million sq. km | 20.78 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.77 million sq. km | 20.77 million sq. km | 20.77 million sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
More agriculture & rural data for Least developed countries
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 20.4% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 337.24 billion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population 769.36 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Rural population 63.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.2% (2019)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 3.1% (2023)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6336 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2039 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is surface area in Least developed countries?
- Surface area in Least developed countries was 20.77 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 Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 20.78 million sq. km in 2012.
- What is the lowest surface area recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.72 million sq. km in 1961.
- How does Least developed countries rank for surface area?
- Least developed countries ranks 21st out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is surface area rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Least developed countries 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Surface area is a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.