Agricultural land — all countries

Agricultural land — South America

Agricultural land in South America in 2023 — 5,305,837 km². Since 1961, the indicator has risen by 18.6%.

2023 5.31M km² −0.72% vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 5.46M km²1985
Period minimum 4.47M km²1961

Trend over time

1961–2023 · km²

Agricultural land — South America, 1961–20234.25M4.5M4.75M5M5.25M5.5M19611968197519821989199620032010201720231961: 4,473,780 km²1963: 4,542,390 km²1965: 4,608,340 km²1967: 4,668,030 km²1969: 4,728,520 km²1971: 4,834,470 km²1973: 4,927,570 km²1975: 5,028,350 km²1977: 5,152,391 km²1979: 5,266,578 km²1981: 5,353,984 km²1983: 5,402,087 km²1985: 5,458,000 km²1987: 5,444,795 km²1989: 5,423,002 km²1991: 5,401,180 km²1993: 5,377,132 km²1995: 5,356,833 km²1997: 5,372,322 km²1999: 5,391,450 km²2001: 5,361,680 km²2003: 5,369,387 km²2005: 5,400,699 km²2007: 5,411,969 km²2009: 5,376,744 km²2011: 5,390,120 km²2013: 5,412,350 km²2015: 5,390,256 km²2017: 5,349,414 km²2019: 5,341,316 km²2021: 5,353,496 km²2023: 5,305,837 km²
Change over the period: +832,057 (+18.6%) Average annual rate: 0.28 %

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: South America

South America 5.31M km²
World 47.92M km²
Agricultural land — South America, by year South America All countries CSV XLSX
Year km² Change Change, %
2023 5.31M −38,459 −0.72%
2022 5.34M −9,201 −0.17%
2021 5.35M −1,659 −0.03%
2020 5.36M +13,839 +0.26%
2019 5.34M +6,292 +0.12%
2018 5.34M −14,390 −0.27%
2017 5.35M −17,862 −0.33%
2016 5.37M −22,980 −0.43%
2015 5.39M +10,008 +0.19%
2014 5.38M −32,102 −0.59%
2013 5.41M +12,441 +0.23%
2012 5.4M +9,789 +0.18%
2011 5.39M −9,239 −0.17%
2010 5.4M +22,615 +0.42%
2009 5.38M −19,398 −0.36%
2008 5.4M −15,827 −0.29%
2007 5.41M +10,043 +0.19%
2006 5.4M +1,227 +0.02%
2005 5.4M +12,783 +0.24%
2004 5.39M +18,530 +0.35%
2003 5.37M +1,300 +0.02%
2002 5.37M +6,407 +0.12%
2001 5.36M −27,930 −0.52%
2000 5.39M −1,840 −0.03%
1999 5.39M +6,378 +0.12%
1998 5.39M +12,751 +0.24%
1997 5.37M +8,197 +0.15%
1996 5.36M +7,292 +0.14%
1995 5.36M −11,611 −0.22%
1994 5.37M −8,688 −0.16%
1993 5.38M −10,090 −0.19%
1992 5.39M −13,957 −0.26%
1991 5.4M −11,288 −0.21%
1990 5.41M −10,534 −0.19%
1989 5.42M −10,317 −0.19%
1988 5.43M −11,476 −0.21%
1987 5.44M −11,018 −0.2%
1986 5.46M −2,187 −0.04%
1985 5.46M +25,895 +0.48%
1984 5.43M +30,018 +0.56%
1983 5.4M +24,262 +0.45%
1982 5.38M +23,842 +0.45%
1981 5.35M +30,120 +0.57%
1980 5.32M +57,286 +1.09%
1979 5.27M +60,494 +1.16%
1978 5.21M +53,694 +1.04%
1977 5.15M +63,694 +1.25%
1976 5.09M +60,347 +1.2%
1975 5.03M +50,240 +1.01%
1974 4.98M +50,540 +1.03%
1973 4.93M +42,460 +0.87%
1972 4.89M +50,640 +1.05%
1971 4.83M +64,250 +1.35%
1970 4.77M +41,700 +0.88%
1969 4.73M +24,590 +0.52%
1968 4.7M +35,900 +0.77%
1967 4.67M +28,310 +0.61%
1966 4.64M +31,380 +0.68%
1965 4.61M +35,680 +0.78%
1964 4.57M +30,270 +0.67%
1963 4.54M +32,750 +0.73%
1962 4.51M +35,860 +0.8%
1961 4.47M

About the indicator

The area of agricultural land: arable land, land under permanent crops, and permanent meadows and pastures. Pasture makes up most of this figure almost everywhere, so the largest agricultural countries by area turn out to be not the main grain producers but countries with vast dry rangelands — Australia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia. The indicator serves as the denominator for the share of irrigated land.

Important: Pasture is included and usually predominates, so the figure is far larger than the area of arable land. FAO estimates for pasture in arid countries are approximate: the boundary between rangeland and wasteland is a matter of convention.

Source: FAOSTAT (FAO), license CC BY 4.0.