China vs India: Land use
China
127.58 million hectares
in 2023
India
168.32 million hectares
in 2023
China rank
4th
India rank
2nd
Land use over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 168.32 million hectares against 127.58 million hectares in China, a difference of 40.74 million hectares.
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 224 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 | 103.36 million hectares | 162.84 million hectares | 59.48 million hectares | India |
| 1970s | 100.28 million hectares | 166.48 million hectares | 66.19 million hectares | India |
| 1980s | 116.95 million hectares | 169.11 million hectares | 52.16 million hectares | India |
| 1990s | 130.45 million hectares | 170.06 million hectares | 39.61 million hectares | India |
| 2000s | 132.71 million hectares | 169.71 million hectares | 37.00 million hectares | India |
| 2010s | 131.25 million hectares | 169.19 million hectares | 37.95 million hectares | India |
| 2020s | 127.63 million hectares | 168.19 million hectares | 40.56 million hectares | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land use, China or India?
- India, at 168.32 million hectares against 127.58 million hectares in China as of 2023.
- What is the difference in land use between China and India?
- 40.74 million hectares, 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?
- China ranks 4th and India ranks 2nd of 224 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Land use. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.