Agricultural land in Canada
Canada: Agricultural land was 568,750 sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in Canada, 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
In 2023, agricultural land in Canada stood at 568,750 sq. km. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in Canada peaked at 637,010 sq. km in 1966 and was at its lowest, 568,750 sq. km, in 2023.
Canada ranks 15th 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 | 630,643 sq. km | 618,430 sq. km | 637,010 sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 628,935 sq. km | 620,350 sq. km | 631,610 sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 611,682 sq. km | 608,989 sq. km | 616,600 sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 613,297 sq. km | 611,920 sq. km | 615,332 sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 608,969 sq. km | 588,560 sq. km | 620,910 sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 578,985 sq. km | 576,878 sq. km | 582,800 sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 570,151 sq. km | 568,750 sq. km | 571,174 sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More agriculture & rural data for Canada
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
- Rural population 17.1% (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.1% (2025)
- Rural population 7.13 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.9% (2022)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 42.53 billion current US$ (2022)
- Land under cereal production 16.03 million hectares (2023)
- Cereal yield 3,695 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal production 59.24 million metric tons (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in Canada?
- Agricultural land in Canada was 568,750 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 637,010 sq. km in 1966.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 568,750 sq. km in 2023.
- How does Canada rank for agricultural land?
- Canada ranks 15th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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.