Land use in Myanmar
Myanmar: Land use was 12.52 million hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
12.52 million hectares
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
27th
of 224 countries
All-time high
12.59 million hectares
in 2018
All-time low
9.96 million hectares
in 1973
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use in Myanmar, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, land use in Myanmar stood at 12.52 million hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Myanmar peaked at 12.59 million hectares in 2018 and was at its lowest, 9.96 million hectares, in 1973.
Myanmar ranks 27th of 224 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Land use in Myanmar, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 10.12 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 10.14 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 10.17 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 10.27 million hectares | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 10.23 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 1966 | 10.39 million hectares | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 10.39 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 10.39 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 10.40 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 10.43 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 10.44 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 10.44 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 9.96 million hectares | -4.6% |
| 1974 | 9.97 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 9.98 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 10.00 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 9.99 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 10.01 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 10.02 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 10.02 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 10.06 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 10.08 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 10.08 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 10.06 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 10.07 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 10.07 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 10.06 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 10.01 million hectares | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 10.03 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 10.07 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 10.06 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 10.04 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 10.09 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 10.08 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 10.11 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 10.14 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 10.15 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 10.15 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 10.29 million hectares | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 10.50 million hectares | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 10.62 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 10.61 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 10.67 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 10.77 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 10.96 million hectares | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 11.29 million hectares | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 11.68 million hectares | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 11.97 million hectares | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 12.13 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 12.22 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 12.25 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 12.24 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 12.28 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 12.33 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 12.44 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 12.46 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 12.57 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 12.59 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 12.50 million hectares | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 12.50 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 12.50 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 12.50 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 12.52 million hectares | +0.1% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 12.52 million hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.82 million hectares, 4.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 12.52 million hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 141,800 hectares, 88.3× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.28 million hectares | 10.12 million hectares | 10.40 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 10.12 million hectares | 9.96 million hectares | 10.44 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.05 million hectares | 10.01 million hectares | 10.08 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.12 million hectares | 10.04 million hectares | 10.29 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.12 million hectares | 10.50 million hectares | 12.13 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.39 million hectares | 12.22 million hectares | 12.59 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.50 million hectares | 12.50 million hectares | 12.52 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
More environment data for Myanmar
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.016 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.9805 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.243 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.43 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.3823 % 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 -0.7174 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in Myanmar?
- Land use in Myanmar was 12.52 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 12.59 million hectares in 2018.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.96 million hectares in 1973.
- How does Myanmar rank for land use?
- Myanmar ranks 27th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Myanmar 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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