Agricultural land in Australia
Australia: Agricultural land was 3.63 million sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in Australia, 1961–2023
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.
Analysis
Australia recorded 3.63 million sq. km for agricultural land in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Australia peaked at 5.14 million sq. km in 1968 and was at its lowest, 3.43 million sq. km, in 2016.
Australia ranks 3rd of 210 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.89 million sq. km | 4.74 million sq. km | 5.14 million sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.97 million sq. km | 4.92 million sq. km | 5.01 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.82 million sq. km | 4.67 million sq. km | 4.96 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.63 million sq. km | 4.54 million sq. km | 4.69 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.18 million sq. km | 3.84 million sq. km | 4.56 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.69 million sq. km | 3.43 million sq. km | 3.96 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.62 million sq. km | 3.56 million sq. km | 3.64 million sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 1 China 5.20 million sq. km compare
- 2 United States 4.22 million sq. km compare
- 4 Brazil 2.37 million sq. km compare
- 5 Russia 2.16 million sq. km compare
- 6 Kazakhstan 2.14 million sq. km compare
More agriculture & rural data for Australia
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2025)
- Rural population 12.3% (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.6% (2025)
- Rural population 3.39 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.3% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 40.76 billion current US$ (2025)
- Land under cereal production 19.46 million hectares (2024)
- Cereal yield 2,690 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal production 52.35 million metric tons (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Australia?
- Agricultural land in Australia was 3.63 million sq. km in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest agricultural land recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.14 million sq. km in 1968.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.43 million sq. km in 2016.
- How does Australia rank for agricultural land?
- Australia ranks 3rd out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Agricultural land (sq. km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Agricultural land refers to the land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops.