Agricultural land area by country, 2023 - knoema.com (2024)

FAQs

Which country has the most agricultural land area? ›

According to a map released by the US Geological Survey (USGS), India has 179.8 million hectares of agricultural land, which is the highest in the world.

China holds only about 1% of all foreign-owned land in the United States, while Canada owns nearly a third. Canada holds 31% of all foreign owned land, with the Netherlands and Italy following with 12 and 7% respectively. China owns a small fraction, just about 1%, while other countries own 28%.

There are a few countries in the world that are considered the most arable. Being arable means that these countries have some of the most fertile lands in the world. Ten of the most fertile countries include Bangladesh, Denmark, the Ukraine, Moldova, India, Hungary, Rwanda, Comoros, Togo and Gambia.

Only about 17% of the total landmass, or approximately 20,000 km², is arable, of which 14,000 km² is well suited for cereal cultivation; the major portion of the country is rugged mountain terrain. By comparison, 22% of land in South Korea is arable, with 65% of it dedicated to growing grain.

The chernozems of central Ukraine, among the most fertile soils in the world, occupy about two-thirds of the country's area.

Canadian investors own 14.2 million acres in the U.S. of both agricultural and non-agricultural land, or about 32% of all foreign holdings. Netherlands owns 12%, followed by Italy and United Kingdom each with 6% and Germany with 5%. Combined, those four countries have about 13 million acres.

It's actually Canada, which accounts for 32%, or 14.2 million acres. Rounding out the top five are the Netherlands at 12%, Italy at 6%, the United Kingdom at 6% and Germany at 5%.

China currently holds 384,000 acres of land in the U.S., which is around 1% of all foreign-held acres. The total holdings for Saudi Arabian investors is about 36,000 acres.

The most fertile soils on Earth are the so-called black soils or chernozems. These are found in some areas in North America, Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Russia. It took several millennia and a specific climate and steppe vegetation for them to form.

Flexi Says: The most fertile soil in the world is located in the region known as the "Black Belt" in the United States, which stretches across parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. This region is known for its rich, dark soil, which is ideal for growing crops.

Where is the best soil in the United States? ›

The Midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin have some of the richest soil in the United States and a very favorable climate for agriculture (good supply of moisture and warm summer temperatures).

On the island of Hawaiʻi there are 56,772 acres designated as Important Agricultural Lands by the State Land Use Commission. Of these, 96% (54,555 acres) were in active agriculture in 2020. Pasture makes up over 90% of these lands (49,812 acres) and commercial forestry (4,743 acres) the remainder (Figure 18).

Greenland is the largest country with no arable land, while the smallest nation—the small city-state of Vatican City—has none as well.

Agriculture is one of the largest and most significant industries in the world, so taking measures to increase production levels is key for the security and health of a country's population. Of the major cereal and vegetable crops, the United States, China, India, and Russia are the top producers.

The largest country in the world is Russia with a total area of 17,098,242 Km² (6,601,665 mi²) and a land area of 16,376,870 Km² (6,323,142 mi²), equivalent to 11% of the total world's landmass of 148,940,000 Km² (57,510,000 square miles). See also: Most Populous Countries.