The 50 Countries With the Most Agricultural Land
Agricultural land, spanning over 18 million square miles globally, forms the bedrock of worldwide food production. This analysis ranks the top 50 countries by agricultural land area, utilizing the most recent data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) compiled by the World Bank. The World Bank serves as a primary source for global agricultural data. China leads significantly, followed by the United States and Australia. The ranking highlights the locations of the world’s largest agricultural footprints, encompassing major producers across Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Why China Has the World’s Most Agricultural Land
With approximately 2,009,326 square miles dedicated to agriculture, China possesses more agricultural land than any other nation worldwide. Roughly one-fifth of China’s national population is employed in the agricultural sector, and the country is currently the world’s largest producer and consumer of agricultural goods. Visual Capitalist highlights this dominance in agricultural output.
Top 50 Countries by Agricultural Land Area
The following table details the world’s countries and their total square mileage of agricultural land:
| Rank | Country Name | Ag land (sq. Mi) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇨🇳 China | 2,009,326 |
| 2 | 🇺🇸 United States | 1,627,576 |
| 3 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 1,402,492 |
| 4 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 914,131 |
| 5 | 🇷🇺 Russian Federation | 832,826 |
| 6 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 827,284 |
| 7 | 🇮🇳 India | 689,466 |
| 8 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 670,418 |
| 9 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 448,405 |
| 10 | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 435,002 |
| 11 | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 414,933 |
| 12 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 380,486 |
| 13 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 371,975 |
| 14 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 267,948 |
| 15 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 219,596 |
| 16 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 212,828 |
| 17 | 🇹🇩 Chad | 194,353 |
| 18 | 🇮🇷 Iran, Islamic Rep. | 181,727 |
| 19 | 🇳🇪 Niger | 179,918 |
| 20 | 🇦🇴 Angola | 177,850 |
| 21 | 🇸🇴 Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 170,384 |
| 22 | 🇲🇱 Mali | 167,103 |
| 23 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 160,280 |
| 24 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 159,633 |
| 25 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 159,503 |
| 26 | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 157,896 |
| 27 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 156,306 |
| 28 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 153,321 |
| 29 | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 152,812 |
| 30 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 152,592 |
| 31 | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 149,867 |
| 32 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 149,854 |
| 33 | 🇹🇷 Turkiye | 148,989 |
| 34 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 148,483 |
| 35 | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 147,167 |
| 36 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 138,977 |
| 37 | 🇨🇩 Congo, Dem. Rep. | 135,505 |
| 38 | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 115,013 |
| 39 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 111,076 |
| 40 | 🇸🇸 South Sudan | 109,449 |
| 41 | 🇫🇷 France | 109,256 |
| 42 | 🇨🇮 Cote d’Ivoire | 106,175 |
| 43 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 99,854 |
| 44 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 98,773 |
| 45 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 95,648 |
| 46 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 94,153 |
| 47 | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 92,043 |
| 48 | 🇾🇪 Yemen, Rep. | 90,549 |
| 49 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 86,394 |
| 50 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela, RB | 83,012 |
The Top Agricultural Players
The United States (1,627,576 sq. Mi), Australia (1,402,492 sq. Mi), and Brazil (914,131 sq. Mi) complete the top five countries globally. Each specializes in different crops. The U.S. Is the world’s largest producer of corn, while Brazil leads in soybean and sugarcane production. Australia, despite its arid geography, has become a major wheat and cereals grower, competing with producers like India (689,466 sq. Mi) and Ukraine (159,503 sq. Mi).
Africa’s Growing Desert Problem
African countries constitute nearly half of the top 50 countries by agricultural land area, led by Sudan (435,002 sq. Mi), South Africa (371,975 sq. Mi), and Nigeria (267,948 sq. Mi). However, African agriculture faces increasing challenges from climate change, particularly desertification, which is reducing agricultural land, especially in the Sahel region, due to rising temperatures and declining soil fertility. Over-farming and over-grazing exacerbate soil erosion and desertification.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
Discover more data-driven visualizations on the Voronoi app, available for free on iOS and Android.
Related reading