Japan: Arable land (hectares per person)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Japan's arable land (hectares per person) fell 0.0000276 on 2023 (from 0.03 to 0.03).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.000168 and a typical year strayed about 0.000115 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 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 0.00000663 in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.00217 in 1969. 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 0.0000645 a year. A straight line explains 84% 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, Japan had the 159th 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 Japan in the 2024 ranking

• San Marino — 155th of 205: 0.04
• American Samoa — 156th of 205: 0.04
• Costa Rica — 157th of 205: 0.03
• Papua New Guinea — 159th of 205: 0.03
• Solomon Islands — 160th of 205: 0.03
• Yemen, Rep. — 161st of 205: 0.03

What this measures

Arable land (hectares per person) 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. True comparability of the data is limited, by variations in definitions, statistical methods, and quality of data. Countries use different definitions of land use.

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

All 64 values

Arable land (hectares per person) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — 0.04 (2024)
• Australia — 1.15 (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 0.00864 (2024)
• Cambodia — 0.23 (2024)
• China — 0.08 (2024)
• Fiji — 0.08 (2024)
• French Polynesia — 0.00887 (2024)
• Guam — 0.00596 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 0.000266 (2024)
• Indonesia — 0.06 (2024)
• Kiribati

More environment data for Japan

• Population in largest city — 37.04 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 32.53% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 80.94 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 65.61% (2025)
• Rural population — 9.5 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 7.7% (2025)
• Urban population — 113.87 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 92.3% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 802,045 (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons)

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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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Japan's arable land (hectares per person)?

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

How has it changed since 1961?

It is down 46.08% from 0.06 in 1961 (0.98% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 0.06 in 1961 and the lowest 0.03 in 2024.

How does Japan rank?

159th highest of 205 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in arable land (hectares per person) unusual for Japan?

In 2024, Japan's arable land (hectares per person) fell 0.0000276 on 2023 (from 0.03 to 0.03). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was −0.000168 and a typical year strayed about 0.000115 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 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.ARBL.HA.PC, 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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