Arable land in North Korea
North Korea: Arable land was 2.29 million hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Arable land in North Korea, 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 hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for arable land in North Korea is 2.29 million hectares, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in North Korea peaked at 2.40 million hectares in 1994 and was at its lowest, 2.15 million hectares, in 1961.
That places North Korea 79th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.15 million hectares | 2.15 million hectares | 2.15 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.19 million hectares | 2.15 million hectares | 2.20 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.29 million hectares | 2.29 million hectares | 2.29 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.32 million hectares | 2.29 million hectares | 2.40 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.33 million hectares | 2.30 million hectares | 2.40 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.33 million hectares | 2.29 million hectares | 2.40 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.29 million hectares | 2.29 million hectares | 2.29 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More agriculture & rural data for North Korea
- Rural population 35.8% (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.6% (2025)
- Rural population 9.52 million (2025)
- Cereal yield 3,610 kg per hectare (2024)
- Land under cereal production 1.35 million hectares (2024)
- Cereal production 4.89 million metric tons (2024)
- Fertilizer consumption 14.68 kilograms per hectare of arable land (2023)
- Permanent cropland 2.1% (2023)
- Land area 120,410 sq. km (2023)
- Agricultural land 25,953 sq. km (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arable land in North Korea?
- Arable land in North Korea was 2.29 million hectares 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 arable land recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.40 million hectares in 1994.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.15 million hectares in 1961.
- How does North Korea rank for arable land?
- North Korea ranks 79th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea 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 Arable land (hectares). 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
Arable land (in hectares) 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.