Bhutan: Arable land (hectares)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Bhutan's arable land (hectares) did not change 0% on 2023 (from 100,000 to 100,000).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.9% and a typical year strayed about 4.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 10% in 1970 and the biggest yearly fall was 10.6% in 2010. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 4% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Bhutan had the 147th highest value of the 205 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Bhutan in the 2024 ranking

• Timor-Leste — 144th of 205: 111,500
• Lebanon — 145th of 205: 110,340
• Belize — 146th of 205: 104,000
• Cyprus — 148th of 205: 96,305
• Guyana — 149th of 205: 94,830
• Oman — 150th of 205: 93,320

What this measures

Arable land (in hectares) includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded.

Limitations: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) tries to impose standard definitions and reporting methods, but complete consistency across countries and over time is not possible. Thus, data on agricultural land in different climates may not be comparable. For example, permanent pastures are quite different in nature and intensity in African countries and dry Middle Eastern countries. The data collected by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations from official national sources through the questionnaire are supplemented with information from official secondary data sources.

All 64 values

Arable land (hectares) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 7.88 million (2024)
• India — 153.81 million (2024)
• Maldives — 3,900 (2024)
• Nepal — 1.8 million (2024)
• Sri Lanka — 1.37 million (2024)

More environment data for Bhutan

• Rural population — 450,682 (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 56.57% (2025)
• Urban population — 346,000 (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 43.43% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 58 (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons) — 5 (2024)
• Total fisheries production (metric tons) — 63 (2024)
• Rural population growth (annual %) — -0.87% (2025)
• Urban population growth (annual %) — 2.66% (2025)
• Agricultural land (sq. km) — 5,270 (2024)
• Agricultural land (% of land area)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Bhutan's arable land (hectares)?

100,000 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1961?

It is unchanged at from 100,000 in 1961. The highest value was 167,286 in 2005 and the lowest 94,000 in 2018.

How does Bhutan rank?

147th highest of 205 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in arable land (hectares) unusual for Bhutan?

In 2024, Bhutan's arable land (hectares) did not change 0% on 2023 (from 100,000 to 100,000). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.9% and a typical year strayed about 4.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator AG.LND.ARBL.HA, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original 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) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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