India vs United States: Land use
India
168.32 million hectares
in 2023
United States
154.73 million hectares
in 2023
India rank
2nd
United States rank
3rd
Land use over time
- India
- United States
How they compare
India currently reports 168.32 million hectares against 154.73 million hectares in United States, a difference of 13.59 million hectares.
That makes India's figure about 1.1 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was United States ahead.
India ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 224 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, India averaged higher in 2 and United States in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 162.84 million hectares | 181.04 million hectares | 18.20 million hectares | United States |
| 1970s | 166.48 million hectares | 189.27 million hectares | 22.79 million hectares | United States |
| 1980s | 169.11 million hectares | 189.36 million hectares | 20.25 million hectares | United States |
| 1990s | 170.06 million hectares | 183.37 million hectares | 13.31 million hectares | United States |
| 2000s | 169.71 million hectares | 170.16 million hectares | 449,200 hectares | United States |
| 2010s | 169.19 million hectares | 159.14 million hectares | 10.06 million hectares | India |
| 2020s | 168.19 million hectares | 155.59 million hectares | 12.60 million hectares | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land use, India or United States?
- India, at 168.32 million hectares against 154.73 million hectares in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in land use between India and United States?
- 13.59 million hectares, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and United States?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do India and United States rank globally for land use?
- India ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd 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.