Land use in Vietnam
Vietnam: Land use was 11.65 million hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
11.65 million hectares
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
30th
of 224 countries
All-time high
11.75 million hectares
in 2019
All-time low
6.02 million hectares
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use in Vietnam, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for land use in Vietnam is 11.65 million hectares, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Vietnam peaked at 11.75 million hectares in 2019 and was at its lowest, 6.02 million hectares, in 1961.
That places Vietnam 30th out of 224 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Land use in Vietnam, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 6.02 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 6.03 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 6.03 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 6.04 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 6.04 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 6.04 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 6.07 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 6.09 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 6.11 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 6.14 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 6.15 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 6.17 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 6.21 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 6.24 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 6.24 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 6.45 million hectares | +3.4% |
| 1977 | 6.54 million hectares | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 6.56 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 6.57 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 6.57 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 6.58 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 6.58 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 6.59 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 6.59 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 6.42 million hectares | -2.6% |
| 1986 | 6.40 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 6.39 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 6.38 million hectares | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 6.38 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 6.38 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 6.42 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 6.70 million hectares | +4.2% |
| 1993 | 6.76 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 6.81 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 6.75 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 7.00 million hectares | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 7.20 million hectares | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 7.41 million hectares | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 7.77 million hectares | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 8.14 million hectares | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 8.84 million hectares | +8.6% |
| 2002 | 8.81 million hectares | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 8.89 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 9.15 million hectares | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 9.41 million hectares | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 9.44 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 9.42 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 9.60 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 9.65 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 10.12 million hectares | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 10.13 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 10.15 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 10.21 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 10.23 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 11.51 million hectares | +12.5% |
| 2016 | 11.53 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 11.53 million hectares | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 11.50 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 11.75 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 11.72 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 11.72 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 11.67 million hectares | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 11.65 million hectares | -0.2% |
Vietnam compared with similar countries
- Vietnam's 11.65 million hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.58 million hectares, 7.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Vietnam's 11.65 million hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 141,800 hectares, 82.2× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.05 million hectares | 6.02 million hectares | 6.11 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 6.33 million hectares | 6.14 million hectares | 6.57 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.49 million hectares | 6.38 million hectares | 6.59 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.92 million hectares | 6.38 million hectares | 7.77 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.14 million hectares | 8.14 million hectares | 9.65 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.86 million hectares | 10.12 million hectares | 11.75 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.69 million hectares | 11.65 million hectares | 11.72 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Vietnam
More environment data for Vietnam
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 7.61 % 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 0.6558 % 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 1.16 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) -6.45 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in Vietnam?
- Land use in Vietnam was 11.65 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 Vietnam?
- The highest recorded value was 11.75 million hectares in 2019.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Vietnam?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.02 million hectares in 1961.
- How does Vietnam rank for land use?
- Vietnam ranks 30th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Vietnam?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Vietnam 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.
Download this data
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