Land area equipped for irrigation — Area in United States
United States: Land area equipped for irrigation — Area was 24,693 1000 ha in 2024. ▲ Rising
Land area equipped for irrigation — Area in United States, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 ha.
Analysis
The most recent figure for land area equipped for irrigation — area in United States is 24,693 1000 ha, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land area equipped for irrigation — area in United States peaked at 27,070 1000 ha in 1997 and was at its lowest, 15,544 1000 ha, in 2006.
That places United States 5th 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 United States, year by year
| Year | 1000 ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 19,000 1000 ha | — |
| 1962 | 19,500 1000 ha | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 19,900 1000 ha | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 20,300 1000 ha | +2.0% |
| 1965 | 20,600 1000 ha | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 20,750 1000 ha | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 21,000 1000 ha | +1.2% |
| 1968 | 21,300 1000 ha | +1.4% |
| 1969 | 21,500 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 21,700 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 21,900 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 22,100 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 22,300 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 22,600 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 22,800 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 23,000 1000 ha | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 23,300 1000 ha | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 24,300 1000 ha | +4.3% |
| 1979 | 24,500 1000 ha | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 25,000 1000 ha | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 26,000 1000 ha | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 26,888 1000 ha | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 26,840 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 26,800 1000 ha | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 26,755 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 26,710 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 26,667 1000 ha | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 26,735 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 26,800 1000 ha | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 26,870 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 26,940 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 27,012 1000 ha | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 27,025 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 27,040 1000 ha | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 27,051 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 27,060 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 27,070 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 27,040 1000 ha | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 27,015 1000 ha | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 26,990 1000 ha | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 26,964 1000 ha | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 26,937 1000 ha | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 24,089 1000 ha | -10.6% |
| 2004 | 21,241 1000 ha | -11.8% |
| 2005 | 18,392 1000 ha | -13.4% |
| 2006 | 15,544 1000 ha | -15.5% |
| 2007 | 26,917 1000 ha | +73.2% |
| 2008 | 26,930 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 26,942 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 26,955 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 26,832 1000 ha | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 26,708 1000 ha | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 26,708 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 26,708 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 26,708 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 26,708 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 26,708 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 26,708 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 26,708 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 26,708 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 26,708 1000 ha | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 24,694 1000 ha | -7.5% |
| 2023 | 24,693 1000 ha | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 24,693 1000 ha | +0.0% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 24,693 1000 ha is above the median for high income countries, which is 53.5 1000 ha, 461.5× the median. (60 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Land area equipped for irrigation — Area in United States 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +73.2% | 15,544 1000 ha | 26,917 1000 ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20,428 1000 ha | 19,000 1000 ha | 21,500 1000 ha | 9 |
| 1970s | 22,850 1000 ha | 21,700 1000 ha | 24,500 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1980s | 26,520 1000 ha | 25,000 1000 ha | 26,888 1000 ha | 10 |
| 1990s | 27,012 1000 ha | 26,870 1000 ha | 27,070 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 24,095 1000 ha | 15,544 1000 ha | 26,990 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 26,745 1000 ha | 26,708 1000 ha | 26,955 1000 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 25,499 1000 ha | 24,693 1000 ha | 26,708 1000 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More environment data for United States
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.16 Percentage change (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.2197 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.39 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0.1952 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land area equipped for irrigation — area in United States?
- Land area equipped for irrigation — area in United States was 24,693 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 27,070 1000 ha in 1997.
- What is the lowest land area equipped for irrigation — area recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,544 1000 ha in 2006.
- How does United States rank for land area equipped for irrigation — area?
- United States ranks 5th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is land area equipped for irrigation — area rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.