United States vs USSR: Land use
United States
154.73 million hectares
in 2023
USSR
228.92 million hectares
in 1991
United States rank
3rd
USSR rank
1st
Land use over time
- United States
- USSR
How they compare
USSR currently reports 228.92 million hectares against 154.73 million hectares in United States, a difference of 74.19 million hectares.
That makes USSR's figure about 1.5 times United States's.
Across all 31 years both countries report, USSR has been ahead every year.
United States ranks 3rd and USSR ranks 1st of 224 countries.
USSR has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United States | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 181.04 million hectares | 236.24 million hectares | 55.21 million hectares | USSR |
| 1970s | 189.27 million hectares | 232.45 million hectares | 43.18 million hectares | USSR |
| 1980s | 189.36 million hectares | 231.58 million hectares | 42.23 million hectares | USSR |
| 1990s | 187.78 million hectares | 228.92 million hectares | 41.14 million hectares | USSR |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land use, United States or USSR?
- USSR, at 228.92 million hectares against 154.73 million hectares in United States as of 1991.
- What is the difference in land use between United States and USSR?
- 74.19 million hectares, with USSR ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United States and USSR?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 1991.
- How do United States and USSR rank globally for land use?
- United States ranks 3rd and USSR ranks 1st 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.