Land use hidden — Cropland in China
China: Land use hidden — Cropland was 1.28 million Square kilometres in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1.28 million Square kilometres
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
4th
of 193 countries
All-time high
1.36 million Square kilometres
in 2009
All-time low
1.00 million Square kilometres
in 1980
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use hidden — Cropland in China, 1961–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Square kilometres.
Analysis
In 2023, land use hidden — cropland in China stood at 1.28 million Square kilometres.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use hidden — cropland in China peaked at 1.36 million Square kilometres in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1.00 million Square kilometres, in 1980.
China ranks 4th of 193 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Land use hidden — Cropland in China, year by year
| Year | Square kilometres | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.05 million Square kilometres | — |
| 1962 | 1.05 million Square kilometres | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 1.05 million Square kilometres | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 1.05 million Square kilometres | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 1.05 million Square kilometres | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 1.04 million Square kilometres | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 1.04 million Square kilometres | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 1.03 million Square kilometres | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 1.03 million Square kilometres | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 1.03 million Square kilometres | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 1.02 million Square kilometres | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 1.02 million Square kilometres | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 1.01 million Square kilometres | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 1.02 million Square kilometres | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 1.01 million Square kilometres | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 1.01 million Square kilometres | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 1.00 million Square kilometres | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 1.00 million Square kilometres | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 1.00 million Square kilometres | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 1.00 million Square kilometres | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 1.01 million Square kilometres | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 1.06 million Square kilometres | +4.9% |
| 1983 | 1.12 million Square kilometres | +5.5% |
| 1984 | 1.19 million Square kilometres | +6.3% |
| 1985 | 1.26 million Square kilometres | +6.1% |
| 1986 | 1.27 million Square kilometres | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 1.28 million Square kilometres | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 1.29 million Square kilometres | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 1.31 million Square kilometres | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 1.32 million Square kilometres | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 1.33 million Square kilometres | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 1.32 million Square kilometres | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 1.31 million Square kilometres | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 1.31 million Square kilometres | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 1.31 million Square kilometres | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.31 million Square kilometres | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1.31 million Square kilometres | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.31 million Square kilometres | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.31 million Square kilometres | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.31 million Square kilometres | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.31 million Square kilometres | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 1.32 million Square kilometres | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 1.33 million Square kilometres | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 1.33 million Square kilometres | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 1.34 million Square kilometres | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 1.34 million Square kilometres | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 1.35 million Square kilometres | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 1.36 million Square kilometres | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 1.36 million Square kilometres | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 1.35 million Square kilometres | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 1.35 million Square kilometres | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 1.34 million Square kilometres | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 1.33 million Square kilometres | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 1.32 million Square kilometres | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 1.32 million Square kilometres | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 1.31 million Square kilometres | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 1.30 million Square kilometres | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 1.29 million Square kilometres | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 1.29 million Square kilometres | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 1.29 million Square kilometres | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 1.28 million Square kilometres | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 1.28 million Square kilometres | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.28 million Square kilometres | -0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1.28 million Square kilometres is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 16,313 Square kilometres, 78.7× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- China's 1.28 million Square kilometres is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,231 Square kilometres, 1042.7× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.04 million Square kilometres | 1.03 million Square kilometres | 1.05 million Square kilometres | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.01 million Square kilometres | 1.00 million Square kilometres | 1.03 million Square kilometres | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.18 million Square kilometres | 1.00 million Square kilometres | 1.31 million Square kilometres | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.31 million Square kilometres | 1.31 million Square kilometres | 1.33 million Square kilometres | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.34 million Square kilometres | 1.31 million Square kilometres | 1.36 million Square kilometres | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.32 million Square kilometres | 1.29 million Square kilometres | 1.35 million Square kilometres | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.28 million Square kilometres | 1.28 million Square kilometres | 1.29 million Square kilometres | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 OECD 3.90 million Square kilometres compare
- 1 Ethiopia 184,569 Square kilometres compare
- 2 India 1.68 million Square kilometres compare
- 2 Madagascar 36,000 Square kilometres compare
- 3 United States 1.55 million Square kilometres compare
- 3 Moldova 21,370 Square kilometres compare
- 4 Türkiye 239,710 Square kilometres compare
- 5 Democratic Republic of the Congo 168,957 Square kilometres compare
- 5 Russia 1.24 million Square kilometres compare
- 6 Brazil 633,980 Square kilometres compare
- 6 Croatia 9,470 Square kilometres compare
- 6 Viet Nam 116,490 Square kilometres compare
- 7 Poland 115,460 Square kilometres compare
- 7 Mauritania 4,600 Square kilometres compare
- 7 Nigeria 442,262 Square kilometres 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 use hidden — cropland in China?
- Land use hidden — cropland in China was 1.28 million Square kilometres in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest land use hidden — cropland recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.36 million Square kilometres in 2009.
- What is the lowest land use hidden — cropland recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.00 million Square kilometres in 1980.
- How does China rank for land use hidden — cropland?
- China ranks 4th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use hidden — cropland rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Land use hidden — Cropland. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
Land resources are one of the four components of the natural environment: water, air, land and living resources. In this context land is both: a physical "milieu" necessary for the development of natural vegetation as well as cultivated vegetation; a resource for human activities. The data presented here give information concerning land use state and changes (e.g. agricultural land, forest land). Data source(s): Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N., (FAOSTAT) Contact: ENV.Stat@oecd.org Dataset release date: June 3, 2024 Database documentation Countries metadata