Land use in China
China: Land use was 127.58 million hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
127.58 million hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
4th
of 224 countries
All-time high
135.38 million hectares
in 2009
All-time low
99.31 million hectares
in 1980
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use in China, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
China recorded 127.58 million hectares for land use in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in China peaked at 135.38 million hectares in 2009 and was at its lowest, 99.31 million hectares, in 1980.
That places China 4th out of 224 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Land use in China, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 104.35 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 104.10 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 103.95 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 103.80 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 103.60 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 103.20 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 102.80 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 102.40 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 102.00 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 101.60 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 101.25 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 100.87 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 100.48 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 101.10 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 99.71 million hectares | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 99.60 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 99.50 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 99.39 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 99.35 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 99.31 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 100.00 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 105.00 million hectares | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 110.80 million hectares | +5.5% |
| 1984 | 117.80 million hectares | +6.3% |
| 1985 | 125.00 million hectares | +6.1% |
| 1986 | 126.50 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 127.20 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 128.20 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 129.70 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 131.30 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 132.38 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 130.70 million hectares | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 130.00 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 130.00 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 130.00 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 130.04 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 130.04 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 130.04 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 130.04 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 130.04 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 130.63 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 131.23 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 131.82 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 132.41 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 133.01 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 133.60 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 134.20 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 134.79 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 135.38 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 134.63 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 133.88 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 133.13 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 132.38 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 131.62 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 130.87 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 130.12 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 129.37 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 128.61 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 127.86 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 127.77 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 127.58 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 127.58 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 127.58 million hectares | +0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 127.58 million hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.58 million hectares, 81.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 127.58 million hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 141,800 hectares, 899.7× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 103.36 million hectares | 102.00 million hectares | 104.35 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 100.28 million hectares | 99.35 million hectares | 101.60 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 116.95 million hectares | 99.31 million hectares | 129.70 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 130.45 million hectares | 130.00 million hectares | 132.38 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 132.71 million hectares | 130.04 million hectares | 135.38 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 131.25 million hectares | 127.86 million hectares | 134.63 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 127.63 million hectares | 127.58 million hectares | 127.77 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
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)
- 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)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9037 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in China?
- Land use in China was 127.58 million hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land use recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 135.38 million hectares in 2009.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 99.31 million hectares in 1980.
- How does China rank for land use?
- China ranks 4th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use 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 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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