Land area equipped for irrigation — Area in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Land area equipped for irrigation — Area was 3,279 1000 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Land area equipped for irrigation — Area in Saudi Arabia, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 ha.
Analysis
In 2024, land area equipped for irrigation — area in Saudi Arabia stood at 3,279 1000 ha. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land area equipped for irrigation — area in Saudi Arabia peaked at 3,279 1000 ha in 2023 and was at its lowest, 343 1000 ha, in 1961.
Saudi Arabia ranks 25th of 217 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Land area equipped for irrigation — Area in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | 1000 ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 343 1000 ha | — |
| 1962 | 345 1000 ha | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 348 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 350 1000 ha | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 353 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 355 1000 ha | +0.6% |
| 1967 | 358 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 360 1000 ha | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 363 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 365 1000 ha | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 368 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 370 1000 ha | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 373 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 375 1000 ha | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 375 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 390 1000 ha | +4.0% |
| 1977 | 390 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 400 1000 ha | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 500 1000 ha | +25.0% |
| 1980 | 600 1000 ha | +20.0% |
| 1981 | 600 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 700 1000 ha | +16.7% |
| 1983 | 900 1000 ha | +28.6% |
| 1984 | 1,100 1000 ha | +22.2% |
| 1985 | 1,150 1000 ha | +4.5% |
| 1986 | 1,200 1000 ha | +4.3% |
| 1987 | 1,400 1000 ha | +16.7% |
| 1988 | 1,500 1000 ha | +7.1% |
| 1989 | 1,550 1000 ha | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 1,600 1000 ha | +3.2% |
| 1991 | 1,600 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1,608 1000 ha | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 1,609 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 1,610 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 1,611 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 1,612 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 1,613 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 1,614 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 1,615 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 1,616 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 1,617 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 1,618 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 1,709 1000 ha | +5.6% |
| 2004 | 1,800 1000 ha | +5.3% |
| 2005 | 1,891 1000 ha | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 1,982 1000 ha | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 2,072 1000 ha | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 2,223 1000 ha | +7.3% |
| 2009 | 2,374 1000 ha | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 2,525 1000 ha | +6.4% |
| 2011 | 2,676 1000 ha | +6.0% |
| 2012 | 2,826 1000 ha | +5.6% |
| 2013 | 2,977 1000 ha | +5.3% |
| 2014 | 3,128 1000 ha | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 3,279 1000 ha | +4.8% |
| 2016 | 3,279 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 3,279 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 3,279 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 3,279 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3,279 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 3,279 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 3,279 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 3,279 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 3,279 1000 ha | +0.0% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 3,279 1000 ha is above the median for high income countries, which is 53.5 1000 ha, 61.3× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 3,279 1000 ha is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 353 1000 ha, 9.3× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Land area equipped for irrigation — Area in Saudi Arabia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | +28.6% | 700 1000 ha | 900 1000 ha |
| 1979 | +25.0% | 400 1000 ha | 500 1000 ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 352.78 1000 ha | 343 1000 ha | 363 1000 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 390.6 1000 ha | 365 1000 ha | 500 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,070 1000 ha | 600 1000 ha | 1,550 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,609 1000 ha | 1,600 1000 ha | 1,615 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,890 1000 ha | 1,616 1000 ha | 2,374 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,053 1000 ha | 2,525 1000 ha | 3,279 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,279 1000 ha | 3,279 1000 ha | 3,279 1000 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More environment data for Saudi Arabia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -52.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -27.86 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.424 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.53 % 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 9.62 % 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 land area equipped for irrigation — area in Saudi Arabia?
- Land area equipped for irrigation — area in Saudi Arabia was 3,279 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 3,279 1000 ha in 2023.
- What is the lowest land area equipped for irrigation — area recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 343 1000 ha in 1961.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for land area equipped for irrigation — area?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 25th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is land area equipped for irrigation — area rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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
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.