Countries by Agricultural land (% of land area)
Côte d'Ivoire leads all 209 countries at 86.48% of land dedicated to agriculture. Suriname ranks last at just 0.45%, its territory dominated by forest. This 19,331% spread reflects how radically geography shapes land use across the globe.
Ranking 2023
Values shown in %.
Analysis
Agricultural land includes arable land, permanent crops, and permanent pastures—expressed as a percentage of total land area. This metric matters because it reflects how a country allocates its most basic resource: land. The measurement is consistent across all 209 countries measured, with 100% of data points classified as official by the World Bank. The data shows almost no volatility, with an average year-over-year change of just 0.9%, indicating land use patterns shift slowly and predictably.
The top rankings cluster around specific regions. Burundi (rank 3, 83.89%), Rwanda (rank 9, 76.33%), and Nigeria (rank 10, 76.20%) show Sub-Saharan Africa's heavy agricultural footprint. The top 10 also includes unexpected entrants: Turkmenistan (rank 2, 84.22%) and Saudi Arabia (rank 5, 80.77%), pastoral economies where grazing land dominates. Meanwhile, the bottom rankings are mostly island nations and city-states: Singapore at rank 207 (0.92%), Greenland at rank 208 (0.59%), and Suriname at rank 209 (0.45%). Mid-tier developed nations fall in the middle ranges: the United Kingdom at rank 20 (70.31%), Denmark at rank 29 (65.53%), and Canada at rank 190 (6.47%).
The data reveals sharp regional divides. Uruguay ranks 4th at 81.35%, the highest-ranking Western Hemisphere country, reflecting its pastoral economy. Egypt sits near the bottom at rank 195 (4.08%), despite the Nile supporting agriculture—most of Egypt is desert. Small island states show extreme variation: Faroe Islands at rank 23 (70.12%) has significant agricultural land, while nearby Greenland at rank 208 (0.59%) has almost none. This suggests that being an island nation alone doesn't determine agricultural footprint; local geography and economic structure matter far more.
The metric counts all pasture equally, whether it's productive grazing land or marginal desert rangeland. A percentage point in Uruguay means something entirely different than a percentage point in Mauritania (rank not shown but high). Additionally, "agricultural land" includes abandoned plots waiting for use and temporary meadows, which can fluctuate slightly year to year. The World Bank's data has 100% coverage for 2023, but some countries may report estimates rather than precise surveys. The definition excludes forests used for timber or biodiversity but counts only land actively used for crops or grazing.
Methodology
Agricultural land is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Bank as the sum of arable land, permanent crops, and permanent meadows and pastures. Arable land includes temporary crops, temporary meadows, and land under kitchen gardens. Permanent crops include flowering shrubs, fruit trees, and similar vegetation. Permanent pastures are land under herbaceous forage crops used for grazing. Data comes from the World Bank's World Development Indicators database (indicator: AG.LND.AGRI.ZS), sourced from FAO statistics. All 209 countries measured reported data for 2023, with 100% classified as official data. The metric expresses agricultural land as a percentage of total land area. Users should note that the definition groups all pasture types together regardless of productivity or ecological condition, so percentages reflect extent rather than yield or agricultural capacity.