Agricultural land — all countries

Agricultural land — World

Agricultural land in the world in 2023 — 47,921,707 km². Since 1961, the indicator has risen by 11.5%.

2023 47.92M km² −0.22% vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 48.11M km²2012
Period minimum 42.99M km²1961

Trend over time

1961–2023 · km²

Agricultural land — World, 1961–202342M44M46M48M50M19611968197519821989199620032010201720231961: 42,989,271 km²1963: 43,155,595 km²1965: 43,344,400 km²1967: 43,532,752 km²1969: 43,916,441 km²1971: 44,016,387 km²1973: 44,242,378 km²1975: 44,475,832 km²1977: 44,530,458 km²1979: 44,801,320 km²1981: 45,000,498 km²1983: 45,219,350 km²1985: 45,761,391 km²1987: 45,887,285 km²1989: 46,126,488 km²1991: 46,278,229 km²1993: 46,692,866 km²1995: 46,881,326 km²1997: 47,142,870 km²1999: 47,295,744 km²2001: 47,340,479 km²2003: 47,043,586 km²2005: 46,694,731 km²2007: 46,612,839 km²2009: 46,474,573 km²2011: 46,735,679 km²2013: 48,021,822 km²2015: 47,837,046 km²2017: 48,095,867 km²2019: 48,009,067 km²2021: 48,070,725 km²2023: 47,921,707 km²
Change over the period: +4.93M (+11.47%) Average annual rate: 0.18 %

Comparison, 2023

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

World 47.92M km²
World 47.92M km²
Agricultural land — World, by year World All countries CSV XLSX
Year km² Change Change, %
2023 47.92M −106,213 −0.22%
2022 48.03M −42,805 −0.09%
2021 48.07M +84,735 +0.18%
2020 47.99M −23,077 −0.05%
2019 48.01M +28,568 +0.06%
2018 47.98M −115,368 −0.24%
2017 48.1M +302,334 +0.63%
2016 47.79M −43,513 −0.09%
2015 47.84M −196,587 −0.41%
2014 48.03M +11,811 +0.02%
2013 48.02M −88,190 −0.18%
2012 48.11M +1.37M +2.94%
2011 46.74M +232,374 +0.5%
2010 46.5M +28,732 +0.06%
2009 46.47M −22,464 −0.05%
2008 46.5M −115,802 −0.25%
2007 46.61M −85,376 −0.18%
2006 46.7M +3,483 +0.01%
2005 46.69M +68,065 +0.15%
2004 46.63M −416,920 −0.89%
2003 47.04M −207,816 −0.44%
2002 47.25M −89,077 −0.19%
2001 47.34M +1,629 +0%
2000 47.34M +43,106 +0.09%
1999 47.3M +21,278 +0.05%
1998 47.27M +131,595 +0.28%
1997 47.14M +190,774 +0.41%
1996 46.95M +70,771 +0.15%
1995 46.88M −20,283 −0.04%
1994 46.9M +208,742 +0.45%
1993 46.69M +374,214 +0.81%
1992 46.32M +40,423 +0.09%
1991 46.28M +45,127 +0.1%
1990 46.23M +106,614 +0.23%
1989 46.13M +95,732 +0.21%
1988 46.03M +143,471 +0.31%
1987 45.89M +161,264 +0.35%
1986 45.73M −35,371 −0.08%
1985 45.76M +263,849 +0.58%
1984 45.5M +278,193 +0.62%
1983 45.22M +79,429 +0.18%
1982 45.14M +139,424 +0.31%
1981 45M +62,513 +0.14%
1980 44.94M +136,666 +0.31%
1979 44.8M +90,323 +0.2%
1978 44.71M +180,538 +0.41%
1977 44.53M +53,570 +0.12%
1976 44.48M +1,057 +0%
1975 44.48M +110,377 +0.25%
1974 44.37M +123,078 +0.28%
1973 44.24M +94,944 +0.22%
1972 44.15M +131,046 +0.3%
1971 44.02M +148,632 +0.34%
1970 43.87M −48,686 −0.11%
1969 43.92M +45,711 +0.1%
1968 43.87M +337,978 +0.78%
1967 43.53M +101,666 +0.23%
1966 43.43M +86,686 +0.2%
1965 43.34M +102,734 +0.24%
1964 43.24M +86,071 +0.2%
1963 43.16M +91,742 +0.21%
1962 43.06M +74,582 +0.17%
1961 42.99M

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.