Arable land use per person in Iraq
Iraq: Arable land use per person was 0.1102 hectares per person in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.1102 hectares per person
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
103rd
of 206 countries
All-time high
0.6394 hectares per person
in 1961
All-time low
0.1102 hectares per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land use per person in Iraq, 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 Iraq is 0.1102 hectares per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 14.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land use per person in Iraq peaked at 0.6394 hectares per person in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.1102 hectares per person, in 2023.
That places Iraq 103rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Arable land use per person in Iraq, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.6394 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.6272 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 1963 | 0.6129 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1964 | 0.599 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 0.5852 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1966 | 0.5657 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1967 | 0.5525 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 1968 | 0.5338 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1969 | 0.5158 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1970 | 0.498 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1971 | 0.4811 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1972 | 0.4794 hectares per person | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 0.4631 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1974 | 0.4567 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 0.4418 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1976 | 0.4276 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1977 | 0.4136 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 0.4077 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 0.3986 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 1980 | 0.3863 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 1981 | 0.3748 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1982 | 0.3644 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 1983 | 0.3538 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 1984 | 0.3429 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 1985 | 0.3347 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 0.3266 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 1987 | 0.3178 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 0.3134 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 0.2879 hectares per person | -8.1% |
| 1990 | 0.2844 hectares per person | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 0.3039 hectares per person | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 0.2896 hectares per person | -4.7% |
| 1993 | 0.2916 hectares per person | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 0.2507 hectares per person | -14.0% |
| 1995 | 0.2305 hectares per person | -8.1% |
| 1996 | 0.2232 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 0.1984 hectares per person | -11.1% |
| 1998 | 0.1923 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 0.1819 hectares per person | -5.4% |
| 2000 | 0.1761 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 0.1706 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 0.173 hectares per person | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 0.1679 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 0.1632 hectares per person | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 0.1637 hectares per person | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 0.1677 hectares per person | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 0.1743 hectares per person | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 0.1381 hectares per person | -20.8% |
| 2009 | 0.1214 hectares per person | -12.1% |
| 2010 | 0.1288 hectares per person | +6.1% |
| 2011 | 0.1337 hectares per person | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 0.1283 hectares per person | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 0.1294 hectares per person | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 0.136 hectares per person | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 0.1323 hectares per person | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 0.1292 hectares per person | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 0.1263 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 0.1234 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 0.1206 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 0.118 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 0.1154 hectares per person | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 0.1128 hectares per person | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 0.1102 hectares per person | -2.2% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 0.1102 hectares per person is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1102 hectares per person, 1.0× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 0.1102 hectares per person is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.0276 hectares per person, 4.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.5813 hectares per person | 0.5158 hectares per person | 0.6394 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.4468 hectares per person | 0.3986 hectares per person | 0.498 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3403 hectares per person | 0.2879 hectares per person | 0.3863 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2447 hectares per person | 0.1819 hectares per person | 0.3039 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1616 hectares per person | 0.1214 hectares per person | 0.1761 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1288 hectares per person | 0.1206 hectares per person | 0.136 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1141 hectares per person | 0.1102 hectares per person | 0.118 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 100 Peru 0.1158 hectares per person compare
- 101 El Salvador 0.1143 hectares per person compare
- 102 Uzbekistan 0.113 hectares per person compare
- 104 India 0.107 hectares per person compare
- 105 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.1069 hectares per person compare
- 106 Botswana 0.1048 hectares per person compare
More environment data for Iraq
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -38.03 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -26.27 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.549 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.99 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2 % 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 6.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land use per person in Iraq?
- Arable land use per person in Iraq was 0.1102 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6394 hectares per person in 1961.
- What is the lowest arable land use per person recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1102 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does Iraq rank for arable land use per person?
- Iraq ranks 103rd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land use per person rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq 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.