China: Agricultural land (sq. km)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, China's agricultural land (sq. km) did not change 0% on 2023 (from 3.92 million to 3.92 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.4% and a typical year strayed about 0.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.5% in 1985 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.8% in 2019. 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 the straight-line trend is downward, about 14,960 a year. A straight line explains 75% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2024, China had the 2nd highest value of the 208 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 China in the 2024 ranking

• United States — 1st of 208: 4.22 million
• Australia — 3rd of 208: 3.64 million
• Brazil — 4th of 208: 2.37 million
• Russian Federation — 5th of 208: 2.16 million

What this measures

Agricultural land refers to the land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land 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. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops.

Limitations: The data are collected by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through annual questionnaires. The 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. To address some of these concerns, this indicator is heavily footnoted in the database in sources, definition, and coverage.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 64 values

Agricultural land (sq. km) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — 27 (2024)
• Australia — 3.64 million (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 153 (2024)
• Cambodia — 61,204 (2024)
• Fiji — 3,116 (2024)
• French Polynesia — 286.5 (2024)
• Guam — 160 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 40 (2024)
• Indonesia — 547,538 (2024)
• Japan — 45,820 (2024)
• Kiribati — 340 (2024)
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep.

More environment data for China

• Population in largest city — 30.48 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 3.27% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 460.16 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 32.72% (2025)
• Rural population — 473.41 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 33.66% (2025)
• Urban population — 933.17 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 66.34% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 81.95 million (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is China's agricultural land (sq. km)?

3.92 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1961?

It is down 7.46% from 4.23 million in 1961 (0.12% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 4.43 million in 1991 and the lowest 3.91 million in 2020.

How does China rank?

2nd highest of 208 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in agricultural land (sq. km) unusual for China?

In 2024, China's agricultural land (sq. km) did not change 0% on 2023 (from 3.92 million to 3.92 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.4% and a typical year strayed about 0.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator AG.LND.AGRI.K2, 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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