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

0500.0k1.0M1.5M196119922023

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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. 1 OECD 3.90 million Square kilometres compare
  2. 2 India 1.68 million Square kilometres compare
  3. 3 United States 1.55 million Square kilometres compare
  4. 5 Russian Federation 1.24 million Square kilometres compare
  5. 6 Brazil 633,980 Square kilometres compare
  6. 7 Nigeria 442,262 Square kilometres compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More environment data for China

All data for China →

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.

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Land use hidden — Cropland in China. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/land-use-hidden-cropland/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Land use hidden — Cropland
Unit
Square kilometres
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
220 places, 12,854 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

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