Agricultural land in United States
United States: Agricultural land was 4.22 million sq. km in 2023. ▼ Falling
Agricultural land in United States, 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
United States recorded 4.22 million sq. km for agricultural land in 2023.
The figure is down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural land in United States peaked at 4.48 million sq. km in 1961 and was at its lowest, 4.13 million sq. km, in 2007.
That places United States 2nd out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 | 4.39 million sq. km | 4.35 million sq. km | 4.48 million sq. km | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.32 million sq. km | 4.28 million sq. km | 4.39 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.29 million sq. km | 4.27 million sq. km | 4.31 million sq. km | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.20 million sq. km | 4.14 million sq. km | 4.27 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.14 million sq. km | 4.13 million sq. km | 4.17 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.24 million sq. km | 4.19 million sq. km | 4.27 million sq. km | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.22 million sq. km | 4.22 million sq. km | 4.24 million sq. km | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More agriculture & rural data for United States
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2024)
- Rural population 19.8% (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.2% (2025)
- Rural population 67.70 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 0.9% (2021)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 223.72 billion current US$ (2021)
- Land under cereal production 54.08 million hectares (2024)
- Cereal yield 8,414 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal production 454.99 million metric tons (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural land in United States?
- Agricultural land in United States was 4.22 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 4.48 million sq. km in 1961.
- What is the lowest agricultural land recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.13 million sq. km in 2007.
- How does United States rank for agricultural land?
- United States ranks 2nd out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is agricultural land rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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.
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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.