Arable land use per person in Tanzania
Tanzania: Arable land use per person was 0.2027 hectares per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
0.2027 hectares per person
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
60th
of 206 countries
All-time high
0.5648 hectares per person
in 1963
All-time low
0.2027 hectares per person
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Arable land use per person in Tanzania, 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 Tanzania is 0.2027 hectares per person, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is down 2.9% on the previous year and down 19.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land use per person in Tanzania peaked at 0.5648 hectares per person in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.2027 hectares per person, in 2023.
Tanzania ranks 60th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Arable land use per person in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | hectares per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.5104 hectares per person | — |
| 1962 | 0.4815 hectares per person | -5.7% |
| 1963 | 0.5648 hectares per person | +17.3% |
| 1964 | 0.5392 hectares per person | -4.5% |
| 1965 | 0.5231 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1966 | 0.5073 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1967 | 0.4918 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 1968 | 0.4761 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1969 | 0.4602 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1970 | 0.5188 hectares per person | +12.7% |
| 1971 | 0.501 hectares per person | -3.4% |
| 1972 | 0.4834 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1973 | 0.4664 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1974 | 0.4498 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 1975 | 0.4337 hectares per person | -3.6% |
| 1976 | 0.4183 hectares per person | -3.6% |
| 1977 | 0.4034 hectares per person | -3.6% |
| 1978 | 0.445 hectares per person | +10.3% |
| 1979 | 0.4303 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1980 | 0.4169 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 1981 | 0.4044 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1982 | 0.3922 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1983 | 0.3795 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1984 | 0.3673 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1985 | 0.4 hectares per person | +8.9% |
| 1986 | 0.3869 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 0.3745 hectares per person | -3.2% |
| 1988 | 0.3633 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 0.3538 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1990 | 0.3447 hectares per person | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 0.3362 hectares per person | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 0.3205 hectares per person | -4.7% |
| 1993 | 0.3141 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 0.3023 hectares per person | -3.8% |
| 1995 | 0.2929 hectares per person | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 0.2908 hectares per person | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 0.2821 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 1998 | 0.2691 hectares per person | -4.6% |
| 1999 | 0.2613 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 0.251 hectares per person | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 0.2423 hectares per person | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 0.2381 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 0.2303 hectares per person | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 0.2387 hectares per person | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 0.2464 hectares per person | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 0.2534 hectares per person | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 0.2599 hectares per person | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 0.266 hectares per person | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 0.2637 hectares per person | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 0.2611 hectares per person | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 0.2579 hectares per person | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 0.2544 hectares per person | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 0.2505 hectares per person | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 0.2465 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.2421 hectares per person | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 0.2374 hectares per person | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 0.2328 hectares per person | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 0.2288 hectares per person | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 0.2251 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 0.2215 hectares per person | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 0.2149 hectares per person | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 0.2087 hectares per person | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 0.2027 hectares per person | -2.9% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 0.2027 hectares per person is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.1272 hectares per person, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 0.2027 hectares per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1581 hectares per person, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.5061 hectares per person | 0.4602 hectares per person | 0.5648 hectares per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.455 hectares per person | 0.4034 hectares per person | 0.5188 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3839 hectares per person | 0.3538 hectares per person | 0.4169 hectares per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3014 hectares per person | 0.2613 hectares per person | 0.3447 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.249 hectares per person | 0.2303 hectares per person | 0.266 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2437 hectares per person | 0.2251 hectares per person | 0.2611 hectares per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2119 hectares per person | 0.2027 hectares per person | 0.2215 hectares per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
More environment data for Tanzania
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -7.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.29 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.06 % 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 5.16 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land use per person in Tanzania?
- Arable land use per person in Tanzania was 0.2027 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 Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5648 hectares per person in 1963.
- What is the lowest arable land use per person recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2027 hectares per person in 2023.
- How does Tanzania rank for arable land use per person?
- Tanzania ranks 60th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land use per person rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tanzania 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.