China, mainland vs India: Land area equipped for irrigation — Area

China, mainland
74,542 1000 ha
in 2024
India
75,500 1000 ha
in 2024
China, mainland rank
3rd
India rank
1st

Land area equipped for irrigation — Area over time

  • China, mainland
  • India
30.0k40.0k50.0k60.0k70.0k80.0k196119922024

How they compare

India currently reports 75,500 1000 ha against 74,542 1000 ha in China, mainland, a difference of 958 1000 ha.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 64 shared years of data; in 1961 it was China, mainland ahead.

China, mainland ranks 3rd and India ranks 1st of 184 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, China, mainland averaged higher in 4 and India in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade China, mainland India Difference Ahead
1960s 45,143 1000 ha 27,847 1000 ha 17,296 1000 ha China, mainland
1970s 46,801 1000 ha 35,541 1000 ha 11,260 1000 ha China, mainland
1980s 49,046 1000 ha 44,488 1000 ha 4,558 1000 ha China, mainland
1990s 51,474 1000 ha 53,080 1000 ha 1,606 1000 ha India
2000s 60,460 1000 ha 64,183 1000 ha 3,724 1000 ha India
2010s 71,028 1000 ha 69,836 1000 ha 1,192 1000 ha China, mainland
2020s 74,542 1000 ha 75,500 1000 ha 958 1000 ha India

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher land area equipped for irrigation — area, China, mainland or India?
India, at 75,500 1000 ha against 74,542 1000 ha in China, mainland as of 2024.
What is the difference in land area equipped for irrigation — area between China, mainland and India?
958 1000 ha, with India ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China, mainland and India?
64 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2024.
How do China, mainland and India rank globally for land area equipped for irrigation — area?
China, mainland ranks 3rd and India ranks 1st of 184 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as Land area equipped for irrigation — Area. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China, mainland vs India: Land area equipped for irrigation — Area. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/land-area-equipped-for-irrigation-area/china-mainland/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Land area equipped for irrigation — Area
Unit
1000 ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
236 places, 13,067 data points, 1961–2024
Last refreshed

The FAOSTAT Land Use domain contains data on twenty-one land use categories and twenty-three categories of irrigation and agricultural practices. Data are available yearly and by country, regional and global levels. The domain includes Land Use Indicators providing information on the percentage share of agricultural and forest land, and their sub-components, including irrigated areas and areas under organic agriculture, within a country land use matrix. Data are available at country, regional and global level, for the following elements: (in percentage) i) Share in Land area; ii) Share in Agricultural land, iii) Share in Cropland; and iv) Share in Forest land; (in ha/pc) v) Area per capita.