Land area equipped for irrigation — Area in China
China: Land area equipped for irrigation — Area was 74,915 1000 ha in 2024. ▲ Rising
Land area equipped for irrigation — Area in China, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 ha.
Analysis
China recorded 74,915 1000 ha for land area equipped for irrigation — area in 2024.
The figure is up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land area equipped for irrigation — area in China peaked at 74,921 1000 ha in 2018 and was at its lowest, 45,206 1000 ha, in 1961.
That places China 2nd out of 217 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Land area equipped for irrigation — Area in China, year by year
| Year | 1000 ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 45,206 1000 ha | — |
| 1962 | 45,363 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 45,383 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 45,544 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 45,704 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 45,863 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 46,025 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 46,191 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 46,262 1000 ha | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 46,429 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 46,599 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 46,749 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 46,851 1000 ha | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 47,028 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 47,240 1000 ha | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 47,517 1000 ha | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 47,823 1000 ha | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 48,160 1000 ha | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 48,518 1000 ha | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 48,850 1000 ha | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 49,187 1000 ha | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 49,529 1000 ha | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 49,403 1000 ha | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 49,410 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 49,411 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 49,564 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 49,712 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 49,858 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 50,009 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 50,157 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 50,270 1000 ha | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 50,429 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 50,754 1000 ha | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 51,054 1000 ha | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 51,376 1000 ha | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 53,327 1000 ha | +3.8% |
| 1997 | 53,544 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 53,783 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 54,002 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 54,201 1000 ha | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 55,978 1000 ha | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 57,775 1000 ha | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 61,434 1000 ha | +6.3% |
| 2004 | 61,890 1000 ha | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 62,276 1000 ha | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 62,938 1000 ha | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 63,603 1000 ha | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 63,796 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 64,504 1000 ha | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 66,736 1000 ha | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 68,127 1000 ha | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 68,166 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 69,863 1000 ha | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 71,033 1000 ha | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 72,440 1000 ha | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 73,553 1000 ha | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 74,322 1000 ha | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 74,921 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 74,921 1000 ha | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 74,921 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 74,921 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 74,920 1000 ha | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 74,915 1000 ha | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 74,915 1000 ha | +0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 74,915 1000 ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 348.1 1000 ha, 215.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- China's 74,915 1000 ha is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 471.11 1000 ha, 159.0× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 45,727 1000 ha | 45,206 1000 ha | 46,262 1000 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 47,291 1000 ha | 46,429 1000 ha | 48,518 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 49,493 1000 ha | 48,850 1000 ha | 50,009 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 51,870 1000 ha | 50,157 1000 ha | 54,002 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 60,840 1000 ha | 54,201 1000 ha | 64,504 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 71,408 1000 ha | 66,736 1000 ha | 74,921 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 74,918 1000 ha | 74,915 1000 ha | 74,921 1000 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 India 75,500 1000 ha compare
- 3 China, mainland 74,542 1000 ha compare
- 4 OECD 64,522 1000 ha compare
- 5 United States 24,693 1000 ha 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 land area equipped for irrigation — area in China?
- Land area equipped for irrigation — area in China was 74,915 1000 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest land area equipped for irrigation — area recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 74,921 1000 ha in 2018.
- What is the lowest land area equipped for irrigation — area recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 45,206 1000 ha in 1961.
- How does China rank for land area equipped for irrigation — area?
- China ranks 2nd out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is land area equipped for irrigation — area rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. 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 Land area equipped for irrigation — Area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.