Ethiopia vs Kenya: Land use over the long-term

Ethiopia
20.00 million hectares
in 2025
Kenya
21.30 million hectares
in 2025
Ethiopia rank
35th
Kenya rank
32nd

Land use over the long-term over time

  • Ethiopia
  • Kenya
05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M100015122025

How they compare

Kenya currently reports 21.30 million hectares against 20.00 million hectares in Ethiopia, a difference of 1.30 million hectares.

That makes Kenya's figure about 1.1 times Ethiopia's.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was Kenya ahead.

Ethiopia ranks 35th and Kenya ranks 32nd of 202 countries.

Across the 40 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 2 and Kenya in 38.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ethiopia Kenya Difference Ahead
1000s 915,936 hectares 3.52 million hectares 2.61 million hectares Kenya
1100s 1.05 million hectares 4.14 million hectares 3.09 million hectares Kenya
1200s 1.19 million hectares 4.76 million hectares 3.57 million hectares Kenya
1300s 1.40 million hectares 5.38 million hectares 3.97 million hectares Kenya
1400s 1.62 million hectares 5.99 million hectares 4.37 million hectares Kenya
1500s 1.83 million hectares 6.61 million hectares 4.78 million hectares Kenya
1600s 2.06 million hectares 7.71 million hectares 5.65 million hectares Kenya
1700s 2.29 million hectares 8.81 million hectares 6.52 million hectares Kenya
1710s 2.86 million hectares 9.21 million hectares 6.35 million hectares Kenya
1720s 3.43 million hectares 9.61 million hectares 6.18 million hectares Kenya
1730s 4.00 million hectares 10.00 million hectares 6.01 million hectares Kenya
1740s 4.57 million hectares 10.40 million hectares 5.84 million hectares Kenya
1750s 5.13 million hectares 10.80 million hectares 5.66 million hectares Kenya
1760s 5.70 million hectares 10.98 million hectares 5.27 million hectares Kenya
1770s 6.27 million hectares 11.14 million hectares 4.87 million hectares Kenya
1780s 6.84 million hectares 11.30 million hectares 4.46 million hectares Kenya
1790s 7.41 million hectares 11.44 million hectares 4.03 million hectares Kenya
1800s 7.98 million hectares 11.58 million hectares 3.60 million hectares Kenya
1810s 8.55 million hectares 11.71 million hectares 3.16 million hectares Kenya
1820s 9.12 million hectares 11.82 million hectares 2.70 million hectares Kenya
1830s 9.69 million hectares 11.93 million hectares 2.24 million hectares Kenya
1840s 10.26 million hectares 12.03 million hectares 1.77 million hectares Kenya
1850s 10.82 million hectares 12.12 million hectares 1.29 million hectares Kenya
1860s 10.82 million hectares 12.61 million hectares 1.79 million hectares Kenya
1870s 10.82 million hectares 13.13 million hectares 2.30 million hectares Kenya
1880s 10.93 million hectares 13.80 million hectares 2.87 million hectares Kenya
1890s 11.04 million hectares 14.51 million hectares 3.46 million hectares Kenya
1900s 11.15 million hectares 13.53 million hectares 2.37 million hectares Kenya
1910s 11.96 million hectares 12.24 million hectares 279,200 hectares Kenya
1920s 12.70 million hectares 11.76 million hectares 935,800 hectares Ethiopia
1930s 14.02 million hectares 13.65 million hectares 377,700 hectares Ethiopia
1940s 15.19 million hectares 15.38 million hectares 187,100 hectares Kenya
1950s 18.35 million hectares 18.70 million hectares 354,310 hectares Kenya
1960s 20.84 million hectares 21.14 million hectares 301,130 hectares Kenya
1970s 20.65 million hectares 21.30 million hectares 650,600 hectares Kenya
1980s 20.28 million hectares 21.30 million hectares 1.02 million hectares Kenya
1990s 20.01 million hectares 21.30 million hectares 1.29 million hectares Kenya
2000s 20.00 million hectares 21.30 million hectares 1.30 million hectares Kenya
2010s 20.00 million hectares 21.30 million hectares 1.30 million hectares Kenya
2020s 20.00 million hectares 21.30 million hectares 1.30 million hectares Kenya

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher land use over the long-term, Ethiopia or Kenya?
Kenya, at 21.30 million hectares against 20.00 million hectares in Ethiopia as of 2025.
What is the difference in land use over the long-term between Ethiopia and Kenya?
1.30 million hectares, with Kenya ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and Kenya?
108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
How do Ethiopia and Kenya rank globally for land use over the long-term?
Ethiopia ranks 35th and Kenya ranks 32nd 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.