Brazil vs China: Land use over the long-term

Brazil
210.81 million hectares
in 2025
China
392.61 million hectares
in 2025
Brazil rank
4th
China rank
1st

Land use over the long-term over time

  • Brazil
  • China
0100.0M200.0M300.0M400.0M100015122025

How they compare

China currently reports 392.61 million hectares against 210.81 million hectares in Brazil, a difference of 181.80 million hectares.

That makes China's figure about 1.9 times Brazil's.

Across all 108 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.

Brazil ranks 4th and China ranks 1st of 202 countries.

China has averaged higher in every one of the 40 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Brazil China Difference Ahead
1000s 0 hectares 13.08 million hectares 13.08 million hectares China
1100s 0 hectares 32.25 million hectares 32.25 million hectares China
1200s 0 hectares 36.86 million hectares 36.86 million hectares China
1300s 0 hectares 28.60 million hectares 28.60 million hectares China
1400s 0 hectares 25.48 million hectares 25.48 million hectares China
1500s 0 hectares 32.64 million hectares 32.64 million hectares China
1600s 24,079 hectares 35.07 million hectares 35.04 million hectares China
1700s 48,198 hectares 35.56 million hectares 35.51 million hectares China
1710s 96,407 hectares 37.21 million hectares 37.11 million hectares China
1720s 192,814 hectares 42.74 million hectares 42.55 million hectares China
1730s 385,627 hectares 45.44 million hectares 45.05 million hectares China
1740s 771,254 hectares 51.14 million hectares 50.36 million hectares China
1750s 1.54 million hectares 63.78 million hectares 62.24 million hectares China
1760s 1.79 million hectares 70.48 million hectares 68.69 million hectares China
1770s 2.09 million hectares 78.73 million hectares 76.65 million hectares China
1780s 2.45 million hectares 98.61 million hectares 96.16 million hectares China
1790s 2.89 million hectares 106.85 million hectares 103.96 million hectares China
1800s 3.42 million hectares 104.44 million hectares 101.02 million hectares China
1810s 4.37 million hectares 122.30 million hectares 117.93 million hectares China
1820s 5.38 million hectares 126.16 million hectares 120.78 million hectares China
1830s 6.60 million hectares 138.91 million hectares 132.31 million hectares China
1840s 7.84 million hectares 146.96 million hectares 139.11 million hectares China
1850s 9.11 million hectares 153.51 million hectares 144.40 million hectares China
1860s 10.41 million hectares 150.90 million hectares 140.49 million hectares China
1870s 11.75 million hectares 128.04 million hectares 116.30 million hectares China
1880s 13.04 million hectares 129.55 million hectares 116.51 million hectares China
1890s 16.73 million hectares 133.61 million hectares 116.87 million hectares China
1900s 19.68 million hectares 142.34 million hectares 122.67 million hectares China
1910s 24.56 million hectares 150.53 million hectares 125.97 million hectares China
1920s 33.85 million hectares 167.96 million hectares 134.11 million hectares China
1930s 44.63 million hectares 174.01 million hectares 129.39 million hectares China
1940s 44.82 million hectares 185.34 million hectares 140.53 million hectares China
1950s 65.49 million hectares 216.48 million hectares 150.98 million hectares China
1960s 88.45 million hectares 250.20 million hectares 161.75 million hectares China
1970s 115.73 million hectares 298.04 million hectares 182.31 million hectares China
1980s 147.54 million hectares 348.86 million hectares 201.32 million hectares China
1990s 172.94 million hectares 388.00 million hectares 215.06 million hectares China
2000s 193.92 million hectares 392.60 million hectares 198.67 million hectares China
2010s 194.43 million hectares 392.61 million hectares 198.19 million hectares China
2020s 204.07 million hectares 392.61 million hectares 188.54 million hectares China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher land use over the long-term, Brazil or China?
China, at 392.61 million hectares against 210.81 million hectares in Brazil as of 2025.
What is the difference in land use over the long-term between Brazil and China?
181.80 million hectares, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and China?
108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
How do Brazil and China rank globally for land use over the long-term?
Brazil ranks 4th and China ranks 1st of 202 countries.
Where does this data come from?
HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Land use over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Land use over the long-term
Unit
hectares
Source
HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
202 places, 21,816 data points, 1000–2025
Last refreshed

Total grazingland area for each separate country over time.