Land use in Western Sahara
Western Sahara: Land use was 4,000 hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
4,000 hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
198th
of 224 countries
All-time high
4,000 hectares
in 1990
All-time low
1,000 hectares
in 1969
Years of data
55
1969–2023
Land use in Western Sahara, 1969–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Western Sahara recorded 4,000 hectares for land use in 2023. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Western Sahara peaked at 4,000 hectares in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1,000 hectares, in 1969.
That places Western Sahara 198th out of 224 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Land use in Western Sahara, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 1,000 hectares | — |
| 1970 | 2,000 hectares | +100.0% |
| 1971 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 2,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 3,000 hectares | +50.0% |
| 1984 | 3,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 3,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 3,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 3,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 3,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 3,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 4,000 hectares | +33.3% |
| 1991 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 4,000 hectares | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,000 hectares | 1,000 hectares | 1,000 hectares | 1 |
| 1970s | 2,000 hectares | 2,000 hectares | 2,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,700 hectares | 2,000 hectares | 3,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 4,000 hectares | 4,000 hectares | 4,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,000 hectares | 4,000 hectares | 4,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,000 hectares | 4,000 hectares | 4,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,000 hectares | 4,000 hectares | 4,000 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Western Sahara
More environment data for Western Sahara
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -62.29 Percentage change (2025)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.503 °C (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -21.2 Percentage change (2025)
- Land area — Area 26,600 1000 ha (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -52.95 Percentage change (2024)
- Country area — Area 26,600 1000 ha (2024)
- Pesticides (total) — Export value 37.78 1000 USD (2024)
- Pesticides (total) — Import value 62.35 1000 USD (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in Western Sahara?
- Land use in Western Sahara was 4,000 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 Western Sahara?
- The highest recorded value was 4,000 hectares in 1990.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Western Sahara?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,000 hectares in 1969.
- How does Western Sahara rank for land use?
- Western Sahara ranks 198th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Western Sahara?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Sahara 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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