Agricultural land — Area in Malawi
Malawi: Agricultural land — Area was 6,132 1000 ha in 2024. ▲ Rising
Agricultural land — Area in Malawi, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 ha.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 6,132 1000 ha for agricultural land — area in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land — area in Malawi peaked at 6,132 1000 ha in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3,200 1000 ha, in 1961.
Malawi ranks 96th of 255 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Agricultural land — Area in Malawi, year by year
| Year | 1000 ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3,200 1000 ha | — |
| 1962 | 3,300 1000 ha | +3.1% |
| 1963 | 3,350 1000 ha | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 3,400 1000 ha | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 3,603 1000 ha | +6.0% |
| 1966 | 3,653 1000 ha | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 3,605 1000 ha | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 3,707 1000 ha | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 3,757 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 3,707 1000 ha | -1.3% |
| 1971 | 3,857 1000 ha | +4.0% |
| 1972 | 3,907 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 3,957 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 3,960 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 3,910 1000 ha | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 3,912 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 3,915 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 3,968 1000 ha | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 3,970 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 3,830 1000 ha | -3.5% |
| 1981 | 3,930 1000 ha | +2.6% |
| 1982 | 4,030 1000 ha | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 3,940 1000 ha | -2.2% |
| 1984 | 3,990 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 4,005 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 4,105 1000 ha | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 4,110 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 4,115 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 4,165 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 4,218 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 4,320 1000 ha | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 4,270 1000 ha | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 4,270 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 4,070 1000 ha | -4.7% |
| 1995 | 4,280 1000 ha | +5.2% |
| 1996 | 4,380 1000 ha | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 4,430 1000 ha | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 4,580 1000 ha | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 4,680 1000 ha | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 4,730 1000 ha | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 4,830 1000 ha | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 4,830 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 4,980 1000 ha | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 4,980 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5,180 1000 ha | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 5,280 1000 ha | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 5,280 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 5,430 1000 ha | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 5,480 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 5,480 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 5,480 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 5,480 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 5,584 1000 ha | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 5,640 1000 ha | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 5,695 1000 ha | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 5,820 1000 ha | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 5,875 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 5,931 1000 ha | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 5,986 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 6,066 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 6,132 1000 ha | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 6,132 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 6,132 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 6,132 1000 ha | +0.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 6,132 1000 ha is below the median for low income countries, which is 17,121 1000 ha, 36% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 6,132 1000 ha is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12,603 1000 ha, 49% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3,508 1000 ha | 3,200 1000 ha | 3,757 1000 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 3,906 1000 ha | 3,707 1000 ha | 3,970 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 4,022 1000 ha | 3,830 1000 ha | 4,165 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 4,350 1000 ha | 4,070 1000 ha | 4,680 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,100 1000 ha | 4,730 1000 ha | 5,480 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,697 1000 ha | 5,480 1000 ha | 5,986 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,119 1000 ha | 6,066 1000 ha | 6,132 1000 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 93 Eritrea 7,591 1000 ha compare
- 94 Czechoslovakia 6,730 1000 ha compare
- 95 Cuba 6,401 1000 ha compare
- 97 Cambodia 6,120 1000 ha compare
- 98 Central African Republic 5,820 1000 ha compare
- 99 Serbia and Montenegro 5,590 1000 ha compare
More environment data for Malawi
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.9153 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.8098 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.07 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 5.3 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land — area in Malawi?
- Agricultural land — area in Malawi was 6,132 1000 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest agricultural land — area recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 6,132 1000 ha in 2021.
- What is the lowest agricultural land — area recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,200 1000 ha in 1961.
- How does Malawi rank for agricultural land — area?
- Malawi ranks 96th out of 255 countries with data for 2024.
- Is agricultural land — area rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Agricultural land — Area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The FAOSTAT Land Use domain contains data on twenty-one land use categories and twenty-three categories of irrigation and agricultural practices. Data are available yearly and by country, regional and global levels. The domain includes Land Use Indicators providing information on the percentage share of agricultural and forest land, and their sub-components, including irrigated areas and areas under organic agriculture, within a country land use matrix. Data are available at country, regional and global level, for the following elements: (in percentage) i) Share in Land area; ii) Share in Agricultural land, iii) Share in Cropland; and iv) Share in Forest land; (in ha/pc) v) Area per capita.