Arable land in United States
United States: Arable land was 151.56 million hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Arable 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 hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for arable land in United States is 151.56 million hectares, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arable land in United States peaked at 189.24 million hectares in 1969 and was at its lowest, 151.55 million hectares, in 2022.
That places United States 2nd out of 206 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 | 179.19 million hectares | 174.49 million hectares | 189.24 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 187.49 million hectares | 186.47 million hectares | 188.75 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 187.35 million hectares | 185.70 million hectares | 188.75 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 181.03 million hectares | 175.52 million hectares | 185.65 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 167.48 million hectares | 159.04 million hectares | 175.48 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 156.24 million hectares | 154.90 million hectares | 157.66 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 152.43 million hectares | 151.55 million hectares | 153.90 million hectares | 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 arable land in United States?
- Arable land in United States was 151.56 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 189.24 million hectares in 1969.
- What is the lowest arable land recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 151.55 million hectares in 2022.
- How does United States rank for arable land?
- United States ranks 2nd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arable land rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. 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 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.