China vs India: Land use hidden — Cropland

China
1.28 million Square kilometres
in 2023
India
1.68 million Square kilometres
in 2023
China rank
4th
India rank
2nd

Land use hidden — Cropland over time

  • China
  • India
0500.0k1.0M1.5M196119922023

How they compare

India currently reports 1.68 million Square kilometres against 1.28 million Square kilometres in China, a difference of 399,610 Square kilometres.

That makes India's figure about 1.3 times China's.

Across all 63 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.

China ranks 4th and India ranks 2nd of 193 countries.

India has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China India Difference Ahead
1960s 1.04 million Square kilometres 1.63 million Square kilometres 585,730 Square kilometres India
1970s 1.01 million Square kilometres 1.66 million Square kilometres 652,718 Square kilometres India
1980s 1.18 million Square kilometres 1.69 million Square kilometres 512,540 Square kilometres India
1990s 1.31 million Square kilometres 1.70 million Square kilometres 387,279 Square kilometres India
2000s 1.34 million Square kilometres 1.70 million Square kilometres 361,601 Square kilometres India
2010s 1.32 million Square kilometres 1.69 million Square kilometres 371,425 Square kilometres India
2020s 1.28 million Square kilometres 1.68 million Square kilometres 397,715 Square kilometres India

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher land use hidden — cropland, China or India?
India, at 1.68 million Square kilometres against 1.28 million Square kilometres in China as of 2023.
What is the difference in land use hidden — cropland between China and India?
399,610 Square kilometres, with India ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
How do China and India rank globally for land use hidden — cropland?
China ranks 4th and India ranks 2nd of 193 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as Land use hidden — Cropland. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs India: Land use hidden — Cropland. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/land-use-hidden-cropland/china/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Land use hidden — Cropland
Unit
Square kilometres
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
220 places, 12,854 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Land resources are one of the four components of the natural environment: water, air, land and living resources. In this context land is both: a physical "milieu" necessary for the development of natural vegetation as well as cultivated vegetation; a resource for human activities. The data presented here give information concerning land use state and changes (e.g. agricultural land, forest land). Data source(s): Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N., (FAOSTAT) Contact: ENV.Stat@oecd.org Dataset release date: June 3, 2024 Database documentation Countries metadata