Arable land use per person in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Arable land use per person was 0.0327 hectares per person in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.0327 hectares per person
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
156th
of 206 countries
All-time high
0.2068 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.0327 hectares per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land use per person in Costa Rica, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for arable land use per person in Costa Rica is 0.0327 hectares per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 33.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land use per person in Costa Rica peaked at 0.2068 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.0327 hectares per person, in 2023.
That places Costa Rica 156th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Arable land use per person in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.2068 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.1994 hectares per person | -3.6% |
| 1963 | 0.1924 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1964 | 0.1858 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1965 | 0.1797 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1966 | 0.174 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1967 | 0.1687 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1968 | 0.1638 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1969 | 0.1593 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1970 | 0.155 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1971 | 0.1509 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 0.147 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1973 | 0.1423 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1974 | 0.1388 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1975 | 0.1352 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1976 | 0.1318 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 0.1283 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 0.125 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1979 | 0.1216 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 0.1184 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1981 | 0.1152 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1982 | 0.1121 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 0.109 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1984 | 0.1061 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1985 | 0.1039 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 0.1012 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1987 | 0.0985 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 0.0943 hectares per person | -4.3% |
| 1989 | 0.0854 hectares per person | -9.5% |
| 1990 | 0.0833 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1991 | 0.0812 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 0.0761 hectares per person | -6.2% |
| 1993 | 0.0683 hectares per person | -10.3% |
| 1994 | 0.0666 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 0.0622 hectares per person | -6.6% |
| 1996 | 0.058 hectares per person | -6.8% |
| 1997 | 0.0567 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 0.0555 hectares per person | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 0.057 hectares per person | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 0.0533 hectares per person | -6.4% |
| 2001 | 0.0524 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 0.0491 hectares per person | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 0.0507 hectares per person | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 0.05 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 0.0493 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 0.0486 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 0.0457 hectares per person | -6.0% |
| 2008 | 0.045 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 0.0489 hectares per person | +8.5% |
| 2010 | 0.0494 hectares per person | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 0.0503 hectares per person | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 0.0497 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 0.0492 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 0.0487 hectares per person | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 0.0459 hectares per person | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 0.0432 hectares per person | -5.8% |
| 2017 | 0.0406 hectares per person | -6.0% |
| 2018 | 0.0381 hectares per person | -6.3% |
| 2019 | 0.0356 hectares per person | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 0.0332 hectares per person | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 0.033 hectares per person | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 0.0329 hectares per person | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 0.0327 hectares per person | -0.5% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 0.0327 hectares per person is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.0728 hectares per person, 45% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 0.0327 hectares per person is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.0857 hectares per person, 38% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1811 hectares per person | 0.1593 hectares per person | 0.2068 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.1376 hectares per person | 0.1216 hectares per person | 0.155 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1044 hectares per person | 0.0854 hectares per person | 0.1184 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0665 hectares per person | 0.0555 hectares per person | 0.0833 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0493 hectares per person | 0.045 hectares per person | 0.0533 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0451 hectares per person | 0.0356 hectares per person | 0.0503 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.033 hectares per person | 0.0327 hectares per person | 0.0332 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 153 Liechtenstein 0.0434 hectares per person compare
- 154 Antigua and Barbuda 0.0429 hectares per person compare
- 155 Jamaica 0.0423 hectares per person compare
- 157 Japan 0.0325 hectares per person compare
- 158 Papua New Guinea 0.0318 hectares per person compare
- 159 Yemen 0.0294 hectares per person compare
More environment data for Costa Rica
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.9 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.71 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.257 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.61 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.09 % 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 -0.3048 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land use per person in Costa Rica?
- Arable land use per person in Costa Rica was 0.0327 hectares per person in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest arable land use per person recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2068 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land use per person recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0327 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does Costa Rica rank for arable land use per person?
- Costa Rica ranks 156th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land use per person rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arable land use per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Arable land is defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops, temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. It is measured in hectares per person.