Land area equipped for irrigation — Share in Cropland in India
India: Land area equipped for irrigation — Share in Cropland was 44.94 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Land area equipped for irrigation — Share in Cropland in India, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
India recorded 44.94 % for land area equipped for irrigation — share in cropland in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land area equipped for irrigation — share in cropland in India peaked at 44.94 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 16.12 %, in 1961.
India ranks 38th of 217 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Land area equipped for irrigation — Share in Cropland in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 16.12 % | — |
| 1962 | 16.24 % | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 16.54 % | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 16.8 % | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 17.03 % | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 17.26 % | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 17.42 % | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 17.93 % | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 18.54 % | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 19.07 % | +2.9% |
| 1971 | 19.73 % | +3.5% |
| 1972 | 20.27 % | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 20.6 % | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 21 % | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 21.42 % | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 22 % | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 22.61 % | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 23.06 % | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 23.64 % | +2.5% |
| 1980 | 24.28 % | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 24.7 % | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 25.11 % | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 25.6 % | +2.0% |
| 1984 | 25.92 % | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 26.38 % | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 26.94 % | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 27.46 % | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 28.09 % | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 28.55 % | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 29.1 % | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 29.2 % | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 29.35 % | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 29.42 % | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 30.28 % | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 31.22 % | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 32.17 % | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 32.92 % | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 33.81 % | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 34.65 % | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 35.52 % | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 36.45 % | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 36.81 % | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 37.27 % | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 37.65 % | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 38.1 % | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 38.48 % | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 38.87 % | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 39.16 % | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 39.89 % | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 40 % | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 40.03 % | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 41.09 % | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 41.16 % | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 41.25 % | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 41.36 % | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 41.48 % | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 41.68 % | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 41.71 % | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 42.99 % | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 44.93 % | +4.5% |
| 2021 | 44.9 % | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 44.88 % | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 44.85 % | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 44.94 % | +0.2% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 44.94 % is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8.25 %, 5.5× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- India's 44.94 % is above the median for South Asia, which is 44.94 %, 1.0× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 17.1 % | 16.12 % | 18.54 % | 9 |
| 1970s | 21.34 % | 19.07 % | 23.64 % | 10 |
| 1980s | 26.3 % | 24.28 % | 28.55 % | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.21 % | 29.1 % | 34.65 % | 10 |
| 2000s | 37.82 % | 35.52 % | 39.89 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.27 % | 40 % | 42.99 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.9 % | 44.85 % | 44.94 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 35 China, Taiwan Province of 47.93 % compare
- 36 Republic of Korea 47 % compare
- 37 Yemen 46.86 % compare
- 39 Guadeloupe 44.88 % compare
- 40 Peru 41.63 % compare
- 41 Armenia 41.6 % compare
More environment data for India
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 11.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 12.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.954 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 17.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.92 % 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 1.12 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land area equipped for irrigation — share in cropland in India?
- Land area equipped for irrigation — share in cropland in India was 44.94 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest land area equipped for irrigation — share in cropland recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 44.94 % in 2024.
- What is the lowest land area equipped for irrigation — share in cropland recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.12 % in 1961.
- How does India rank for land area equipped for irrigation — share in cropland?
- India ranks 38th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is land area equipped for irrigation — share in cropland rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Land area equipped for irrigation — Share in Cropland. 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.