Cropland — Share in Agricultural land in China
China: Cropland — Share in Agricultural land was 32.96 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Cropland — Share in Agricultural land in China, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
China recorded 32.96 % for cropland — share in agricultural land in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cropland — share in agricultural land in China peaked at 32.96 % in 2023 and was at its lowest, 23.92 %, in 1978.
That places China 182nd out of 252 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Cropland — Share in Agricultural land in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 24.8 % | — |
| 1962 | 24.76 % | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 24.73 % | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 24.71 % | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 24.67 % | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 24.6 % | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 24.53 % | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 24.46 % | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 24.39 % | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 24.32 % | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 24.25 % | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 24.18 % | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 24.11 % | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 24.23 % | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 23.98 % | -1.0% |
| 1976 | 23.96 % | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 23.94 % | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 23.92 % | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 23.95 % | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 23.98 % | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 24.15 % | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 25.08 % | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 26.14 % | +4.2% |
| 1984 | 27.37 % | +4.7% |
| 1985 | 28.6 % | +4.5% |
| 1986 | 28.89 % | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 29.05 % | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 29.25 % | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 29.54 % | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 29.84 % | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 30.06 % | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 29.84 % | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 29.77 % | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 29.82 % | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 29.86 % | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 29.92 % | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 29.96 % | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 30.01 % | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 30.06 % | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 30.1 % | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 30.25 % | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 30.39 % | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 30.53 % | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 30.67 % | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 30.82 % | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 31.09 % | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 31.37 % | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 31.66 % | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 31.94 % | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 32.01 % | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 32.09 % | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 32.16 % | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 32.24 % | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 32.31 % | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 32.39 % | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 32.47 % | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 32.55 % | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 32.64 % | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 32.72 % | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 32.82 % | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 32.68 % | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 32.69 % | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 32.96 % | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 32.96 % | +0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 32.96 % is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 60.13 %, 55% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- China's 32.96 % is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 86.75 %, 38% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 24.63 % | 24.39 % | 24.8 % | 9 |
| 1970s | 24.08 % | 23.92 % | 24.32 % | 10 |
| 1980s | 27.21 % | 23.98 % | 29.54 % | 10 |
| 1990s | 29.91 % | 29.77 % | 30.06 % | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.88 % | 30.1 % | 31.94 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.36 % | 32.01 % | 32.72 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.82 % | 32.68 % | 32.96 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 179 Liechtenstein 33.46 % compare
- 180 Ascension, Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha 33.33 % compare
- 181 United States Virgin Islands 33.04 % compare
- 183 OECD 32.83 % compare
- 184 China, mainland 32.82 % compare
- 185 Qatar 32.43 % compare
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 5.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8065 % 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 -0.2517 % 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cropland — share in agricultural land in China?
- Cropland — share in agricultural land in China was 32.96 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest cropland — share in agricultural land recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 32.96 % in 2023.
- What is the lowest cropland — share in agricultural land recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.92 % in 1978.
- How does China rank for cropland — share in agricultural land?
- China ranks 182nd out of 252 countries with data for 2024.
- Is cropland — share in agricultural land rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Cropland — Share in Agricultural land. 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.