Countries in Africa Ranked by Arable land share (2024)
Arable land share: each country's latest value (2019–2024), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Gambia, The ranks #1 with 58.1% of land area. Rwanda is second with 48.9% of land area, 18.8% behind. The top five are Gambia, The, Rwanda, Togo, Burundi and Uganda. The median across all 54 is 10.9% of land area; Djibouti is last at 0.156% of land area. Gambia, The's figure has risen 151% since 2000 (23.1% of land area to 58.1% of land area in 2024).
- #1
- Gambia, The · 58.1% of land area
- Median
- 10.9% of land area
- Coverage
- 54 countries in Africa
- Data year
- 2024
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Arable land share (% of land area) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gambia, The | 58.1 |
| 2 | Rwanda | 48.9 |
| 3 | Togo | 48.7 |
| 4 | Burundi | 43.7 |
| 5 | Uganda | 43.6 |
| 6 | Malawi | 42.4 |
| 7 | Nigeria | 40.8 |
| 8 | Mauritius | 35.3 |
| 9 | Benin | 32.3 |
| 10 | Comoros | 29.6 |
| 11 | Burkina Faso | 28.9 |
| 12 | Guinea | 24.7 |
| 13 | Sierra Leone | 21.9 |
| 14 | Ghana | 20.7 |
| 15 | Senegal | 19.9 |
| 16 | Lesotho | 19 |
| 17 | Cabo Verde | 18 |
| 18 | Tunisia | 17.8 |
| 19 | Guinea-Bissau | 16.1 |
| 20 | Morocco | 15.8 |
| 21 | Côte d'Ivoire | 15.7 |
| 22 | Tanzania | 15.5 |
| 23 | Ethiopia | 14.6 |
| 24 | Niger | 14 |
| 25 | Cameroon | 13.1 |
| 26 | Kenya | 11.5 |
| 27 | Sudan | 11.2 |
| 28 | Mozambique | 10.5 |
| 29 | Zimbabwe | 10.4 |
| 30 | Eswatini | 10.3 |
| 31 | South Africa | 9.89 |
| 32 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 7.29 |
| 33 | Eritrea | 5.71 |
| 34 | Mali | 5.5 |
| 35 | Liberia | 5.19 |
| 36 | Madagascar | 5.16 |
| 37 | Zambia | 5.11 |
| 38 | Chad | 4.21 |
| 39 | São Tomé and Principe | 4.17 |
| 40 | South Sudan | 3.79 |
| 41 | Angola | 3.66 |
| 42 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 3.29 |
| 43 | Algeria | 3.16 |
| 44 | Central African Republic | 2.89 |
| 45 | Equatorial Guinea | 1.89 |
| 46 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 1.75 |
| 47 | Congo, Rep. | 1.61 |
| 48 | Gabon | 1.26 |
| 49 | Libya | 0.978 |
| 50 | Namibia | 0.97 |
| 51 | Botswana | 0.459 |
| 52 | Mauritania | 0.437 |
| 53 | Seychelles | 0.328 |
| 54 | Djibouti | 0.156 |
About the top 10
#1 Gambia, The
Gambia, The ranks #1 on this list with 58.1% of land area.
- Capital
- Banjul
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 2.82 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.59 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$919.1 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in gender parity index (school enrolment) · #3 in arable land share · #7 in gross capital formation rate.
#2 Rwanda
Rwanda ranks #2 on this list with 48.9% of land area.
- Capital
- Kigali
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 14.57 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$16.37 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,124 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 30.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kigali.
Also ranks #1 in women in parliament share · #2 in school enrolment (primary) · #2 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary).
#3 Togo
Togo ranks #3 on this list with 48.7% of land area.
- Capital
- Lomé
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 8.59 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$11.89 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,384 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 44.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lomé.
Also ranks #8 in arable land share · #19 in age dependency ratio · #19 in age dependency ratio (young).
#4 Burundi
Burundi ranks #4 on this list with 43.7% of land area.
- Capital
- Gitega
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 14.39 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.36 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$233.8 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 25.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in prevalence of stunting (under-5) · #3 in forest rents share of gdp · #3 in real effective exchange rate index.
#5 Uganda
Uganda ranks #5 on this list with 43.6% of land area.
- Capital
- Kampala
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 51.39 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$61.99 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,206 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kampala.
Also ranks #6 in renewable energy share · #6 in refugee population by asylum · #7 in agricultural land share.
#6 Malawi
Malawi ranks #6 on this list with 42.4% of land area.
- Capital
- Lilongwe
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 22.22 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$14.92 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$671.5 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in school enrolment (primary) · #3 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary) · #3 in poverty headcount ratio.
#7 Nigeria
Nigeria ranks #7 on this list with 40.8% of land area.
- Capital
- Abuja
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 237.53 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$290.79 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,224 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 54.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt.
Also ranks #1 in under-5 mortality rate · #1 in maternal mortality ratio · #1 in children out of school (primary).
#8 Mauritius
Mauritius ranks #8 on this list with 35.3% of land area.
- Capital
- Port Louis
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 1.24 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$16.16 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$12,991 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 39% of population (2025)
Also ranks #6 in cereal yield · #11 in low-birthweight babies share · #15 in population density.
#9 Benin
Benin ranks #9 on this list with 32.3% of land area.
- Capital
- Porto-Novo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 14.81 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$24.57 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,658 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 53.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #8 in maternal mortality ratio · #10 in female labour force participation · #10 in livestock production index.
#10 Comoros
Comoros ranks #10 on this list with 29.6% of land area.
- Capital
- Moroni
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 882,850 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.81 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,056 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 33.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in low-birthweight babies share · #4 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #10 in agricultural land share.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Arable land share: each country's latest value (2019–2024), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator AG.LND.ARBL.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Arable land (% of land area): FAO electronic files and website, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: FAO electronic files and website, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.