Watermelons — Area harvested in China

China: Watermelons — Area harvested was 1.46 million ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.46 million ha
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
1st
of 131 countries
All-time high
1.87 million ha
in 2002
All-time low
278,715 ha
in 1970
Years of data
64
1961–2024

Watermelons — Area harvested in China, 1961–2024

500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M196119922024

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.

Analysis

The most recent figure for watermelons — area harvested in China is 1.46 million ha, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 6.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, watermelons — area harvested in China peaked at 1.87 million ha in 2002 and was at its lowest, 278,715 ha, in 1970.

China ranks 1st of 131 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Watermelons — Area harvested in China, year by year

Annual values for Watermelons — Area harvested in China, 1961 to 2024.
Year ha Change
1961 536,160 ha —
1962 537,358 ha +0.2%
1963 470,598 ha -12.4%
1964 420,239 ha -10.7%
1965 417,317 ha -0.7%
1966 404,186 ha -3.1%
1967 403,756 ha -0.1%
1968 384,113 ha -4.9%
1969 386,767 ha +0.7%
1970 278,715 ha -27.9%
1971 304,827 ha +9.4%
1972 283,908 ha -6.9%
1973 313,570 ha +10.4%
1974 301,081 ha -4.0%
1975 313,003 ha +4.0%
1976 314,331 ha +0.4%
1977 326,672 ha +3.9%
1978 368,331 ha +12.8%
1979 359,462 ha -2.4%
1980 354,923 ha -1.3%
1981 384,336 ha +8.3%
1982 424,927 ha +10.6%
1983 443,799 ha +4.4%
1984 498,969 ha +12.4%
1985 727,575 ha +45.8%
1986 758,166 ha +4.2%
1987 840,954 ha +10.9%
1988 856,614 ha +1.9%
1989 721,364 ha -15.8%
1990 574,045 ha -20.4%
1991 609,549 ha +6.2%
1992 720,198 ha +18.2%
1993 890,537 ha +23.7%
1994 869,851 ha -2.3%
1995 883,123 ha +1.5%
1996 980,099 ha +11.0%
1997 1.07 million ha +9.5%
1998 1.33 million ha +24.3%
1999 1.44 million ha +8.0%
2000 1.64 million ha +14.0%
2001 1.84 million ha +12.0%
2002 1.87 million ha +1.5%
2003 1.85 million ha -0.8%
2004 1.67 million ha -9.6%
2005 1.72 million ha +2.7%
2006 1.76 million ha +2.6%
2007 1.64 million ha -7.3%
2008 1.61 million ha -1.6%
2009 1.59 million ha -1.4%
2010 1.65 million ha +4.1%
2011 1.62 million ha -2.1%
2012 1.57 million ha -2.8%
2013 1.58 million ha +0.4%
2014 1.57 million ha -0.7%
2015 1.56 million ha -0.5%
2016 1.53 million ha -2.1%
2017 1.53 million ha +0.3%
2018 1.53 million ha -0.1%
2019 1.55 million ha +1.3%
2020 1.54 million ha -0.8%
2021 1.48 million ha -3.5%
2022 1.49 million ha +0.6%
2023 1.49 million ha +0.0%
2024 1.46 million ha -2.3%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 1.46 million ha is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5,118 ha, 285.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
  • China's 1.46 million ha is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4,036 ha, 361.4× the median. (13 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Watermelons — Area harvested in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1985 +45.8% 498,969 ha 727,575 ha

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 440,055 ha 384,113 ha 537,358 ha 9
1970s 316,390 ha 278,715 ha 368,331 ha 10
1980s 601,163 ha 354,923 ha 856,614 ha 10
1990s 937,503 ha 574,045 ha 1.44 million ha 10
2000s 1.72 million ha 1.59 million ha 1.87 million ha 10
2010s 1.57 million ha 1.53 million ha 1.65 million ha 10
2020s 1.49 million ha 1.46 million ha 1.54 million ha 5

Countries ranked near China

  1. 2 China, mainland 1.45 million ha compare
  2. 3 Türkiye 63,267 ha compare
  3. 3 USSR 480,000 ha compare
  4. 4 India 127,811 ha compare
  5. 4 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 56,048 ha compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More environment data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is watermelons — area harvested in China?
Watermelons — area harvested in China was 1.46 million ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest watermelons — area harvested recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 1.87 million ha in 2002.
What is the lowest watermelons — area harvested recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 278,715 ha in 1970.
How does China rank for watermelons — area harvested?
China ranks 1st out of 131 countries with data for 2024.
Is watermelons — area harvested rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Watermelons — Area harvested. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Watermelons — Area harvested in China. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/watermelons-area-harvested/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Watermelons — Area harvested
Unit
ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
175 places, 8,161 data points, 1961–2024
Last refreshed

Crop and livestock statistics are recorded for 278 products, covering the following categories: 1) CROPS PRIMARY: Cereals, Citrus Fruit, Fibre Crops, Fruit, Oil Crops, Oil Crops and Cakes in Oil Equivalent, Pulses, Roots and Tubers, Sugar Crops, Treenuts and Vegetables. Data are expressed in terms of area harvested, production quantity and yield. Cereals: Area and production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed or silage or used for grazing are therefore excluded. 2) CROPS PROCESSED: Beer of barley; Cotton lint; Cottonseed; Margarine, short; Molasses; Oil, coconut (copra); Oil, cottonseed; Oil, groundnut; Oil, linseed; Oil, maize; Oil, olive, virgin; Oil, palm; Oil, palm kernel; Oil, rapeseed; Oil, safflower; Oil, sesame; Oil, soybean; Oil, sunflower; Palm kernels; Sugar Raw Centrifugal; Wine. 3) LIVE ANIMALS: Animals live n.e.s.; Asses; Beehives; Buffaloes; Camelids, other; Camels; Cattle; Chickens; Ducks; Geese and guinea fowls; Goats; Horses; Mules; Pigeons, other birds; Pigs; Rabbits and hares; Rodents, other; Sheep; Turkeys. 4) LIVESTOCK PRIMARY: Beeswax; Eggs (various types); Hides buffalo, fresh; Hides, cattle, fresh; Honey, natural; Meat (ass, bird nes, buffalo, camel, cattle, chicken, duck, game, goat, goose and guinea fowl, horse, mule, Meat nes, meat other camelids, Meat other rodents, pig, rabbit, sheep, turkey); Milk (buffalo, camel, cow, goat, sheep); Offals, nes; Silk-worm cocoons, reelable; Skins (goat, sheep); Snails, not sea; Wool, greasy. 5) LIVESTOCK PROCESSED: Butter (of milk from sheep, goat, buffalo, cow); Cheese (of milk from goat, buffalo, sheep, cow milk); Cheese of skimmed cow milk; Cream fresh; Ghee (cow and buffalo milk); Lard; Milk (dry buttermilk, skimmed condensed, skimmed cow, skimmed dried, skimmed evaporated, whole condensed, whole dried, whole evaporated); Silk raw; Tallow; Whey (condensed and dry); Yoghurt.