Low income Countries 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, Burundi, Uganda and Malawi. The median across all 25 is 12% of land area; Somalia, Fed. Rep. is last at 1.75% 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
- 12% of land area
- Coverage
- 25 Low income countries
- 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 | Burundi | 43.7 |
| 4 | Uganda | 43.6 |
| 5 | Malawi | 42.4 |
| 6 | Burkina Faso | 28.9 |
| 7 | Syrian Arab Republic | 24 |
| 8 | Sierra Leone | 21.9 |
| 9 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 19.1 |
| 10 | Guinea-Bissau | 16.1 |
| 11 | Ethiopia | 14.6 |
| 12 | Niger | 14 |
| 13 | Afghanistan | 12 |
| 14 | Sudan | 11.2 |
| 15 | Mozambique | 10.5 |
| 16 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 7.29 |
| 17 | Eritrea | 5.71 |
| 18 | Mali | 5.5 |
| 19 | Liberia | 5.19 |
| 20 | Madagascar | 5.16 |
| 21 | Chad | 4.21 |
| 22 | South Sudan | 3.79 |
| 23 | Central African Republic | 2.89 |
| 24 | Yemen, Rep. | 2.16 |
| 25 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 1.75 |
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 Burundi
Burundi ranks #3 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.
#4 Uganda
Uganda ranks #4 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.
#5 Malawi
Malawi ranks #5 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.
#6 Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso ranks #6 on this list with 28.9% of land area.
- Capital
- Ouagadougou
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 24.08 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$27.63 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,148 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 28.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Ouagadougou.
Also ranks #7 in mineral rents share of gdp · #9 in children out of school (primary) · #11 in under-5 mortality rate.
#7 Syrian Arab Republic
Syrian Arab Republic ranks #7 on this list with 24% of land area.
- Capital
- Damascus
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 25.62 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$23.74 billion (2022)
- GDP per person
- US$1,057 (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 72.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 72.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Damascus, Aleppo.
Also ranks #2 in refugee population by origin · #2 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #3 in net migration.
#8 Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone ranks #8 on this list with 21.9% of land area.
- Capital
- Freetown
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 8.82 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$7.46 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$846.3 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in school enrolment (primary) · #7 in under-5 mortality rate · #8 in forest rents share of gdp.
#9 Korea, Dem. People's Rep.
Korea, Dem. People's Rep. ranks #9 on this list with 19.1% of land area.
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 26.57 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 64.2% of population (2025)
- CO2 emissions per person
- 2.5 t CO2e per person (2024)
- Currency
- North Korean won
Largest cities: Pyongyang.
Also ranks #2 in hospital beds per 10,000 · #3 in armed forces personnel · #6 in female labour force participation.
#10 Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau ranks #10 on this list with 16.1% of land area.
- Capital
- Bissau
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 2.25 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.53 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,124 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 46.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #5 in forest rents share of gdp · #7 in low-birthweight babies 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.