Irrigation » Area Equipped for Full Control Irrigation - Surface irrigation

Topics Water Irrigation » Area Equipped for Full Control Irrigation

China is the top country by surface irrigation in the world. As of 2020, surface irrigation in China was 71,357.2 thousand ha that accounts for 27.48% of the world's surface irrigation. The top 5 countries (others are India, Pakistan, the United States of America, and Iran) account for 68.87% of it. The world's total surface irrigation was estimated at 259,671.74 thousand ha in 2020.

Surface irrigation systems are based on the principle of moving water over the land by simple gravity in order to moisten the soil. They can be subdivided into furrow, borderstrip and basin irrigation (including submersion irrigation of rice). Manual irrigation using buckets or watering cans are also included. Surface irrigation does NOT refer to the method of transporting the water from the source up to the field, which may be done by gravity or by pumping.

Surface irrigation (thousand ha)

	1970	1990	2000	2005	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Albania			397.00	397.00	397.00	397.00	397.00	397.00	397.00	397.00	397.00	397.00	397.00	397.00	397.00
Algeria							686.90	652.93	618.97	585.00	613.23	596.00	596.00	596.00	596.00
Antigua and Barbuda			0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Argentina		1,438.61	1,681.65	1,803.17	1,924.70	1,949.00	1,765.12	1,581.23	1,397.35	1,213.46	1,029.58	845.69	661.81	661.81	661.81
Armenia							152.40					88.23	88.23
Australia					1,716.48	1,687.85	1,659.22	1,630.59	1,601.96	1,573.33	1,544.70	1,613.60	1,652.79	1,405.83	1,093.78
Azerbaijan			1,277.26	1,283.53	817.90	817.33	819.62	823.64	825.94	823.07	825.82	829.84	831.90	832.36	832.36
Bahrain			3.39	3.34	3.24	3.21	3.19	3.17	3.15	3.15	3.15	3.15	3.15	3.15	3.15
Bangladesh			4,250.62	4,750.23	5,050.00	5,050.00	5,050.00	5,050.00	5,050.00	5,050.00	5,050.00	5,050.00	5,050.00	5,050.00	5,050.00
Benin			4.77	7.82	10.59	10.59	10.59	10.59	10.59	10.59	10.59	10.59	10.59	10.59	10.59
Bhutan			27.30	27.57	27.68	27.68	27.68	27.68	27.68	27.68	27.68	27.68	27.68	27.68	27.68
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)						275.90	281.47	304.06	331.43	364.31	387.44	410.08	439.39	466.87	482.10
Botswana			0.23	0.28	0.36	0.38	0.39	0.41	0.43	0.47	0.55	0.59	0.59	0.59	0.59
Brazil			1,737.00	1,839.50	2,619.00	2,344.75	2,070.50	1,796.25	1,522.00	1,544.00	1,547.00	1,490.51	1,551.89	1,615.71	1,694.49
Brunei Darussalam			1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Bulgaria					105.98	100.33	94.68	89.03	94.26	99.49	104.72	104.72	104.72	104.72	104.72
Burkina Faso			14.35	18.98	24.32	25.39	25.39	25.39	25.39	25.39	25.39	25.39	25.39	25.39	25.39
Burundi			6.96	6.96	6.96	6.96	6.96	6.96	6.96	6.96	6.96	6.96	6.96	6.96	6.96
Cambodia			269.50	269.50	269.50	269.50	269.50	269.50	269.50	269.50	269.50	269.50	269.50	269.50	269.50
Cameroon			17.02	17.02	17.02	17.02	17.02	17.02	17.02	17.02	17.02	17.02	17.02	17.02	17.02
Chad		13.06	24.28	26.52	26.52	26.52	26.52	26.52	26.52	26.52	26.52	26.52	26.52	26.52	26.52
Chile					801.18	801.14	801.10	801.06	801.02	800.98	801.33	801.33	801.33	801.33	801.33
China		49,665.00	54,659.09	58,558.18	63,068.50	64,001.12	64,933.75	65,866.37	66,650.78	67,435.18	68,219.58	69,003.99	69,788.39	70,572.80	71,357.20
Congo			0.22	0.22	0.22	0.22	0.22	0.22	0.22	0.22	0.22	0.22	0.22	0.22	0.22
Costa Rica			85.63	85.88	86.13	86.18	86.23	86.28	95.29	95.29	95.29	95.29	95.29	95.29	95.29
Côte d'Ivoire			11.75	11.75	11.75	11.75	11.75	11.75	11.75	11.75	11.75	11.75	11.75	11.75	11.75
Croatia				9.27	22.06	22.87	23.68	24.49	25.69	26.89	28.10	33.56	39.03	44.49	44.76
Cuba			337.20	288.21	239.21	313.81	388.40	388.40	388.40	388.40	388.40	388.40	388.40	388.40	388.40
Cyprus		2.47	2.41	2.77	2.02	1.98	1.94	1.90	1.90	1.91	1.91	1.91	1.91	1.91	1.91
Czechia					18.85	19.20	19.56	19.92	22.22	24.52	26.82	25.43	24.05	22.67	21.28
Democratic People's Republic of Korea			1,460.00	1,460.00	1,460.00	1,460.00	1,460.00	1,460.00	1,460.00	1,460.00	1,460.00	1,460.00	1,460.00	1,460.00	1,460.00
Democratic Republic of the Congo			10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00	10.00
Dominican Republic			270.35	283.60	299.50	304.80	310.10	310.10	310.10	310.10	310.10	310.10	310.10	310.10	310.10
Ecuador			663.90	915.41	1,166.92	1,194.15	1,221.38	1,248.60	1,275.83	1,303.06	1,330.29	1,330.29	1,330.29	1,330.29	1,330.29
Egypt			3,032.78	2,916.88	2,730.00	2,737.56	2,795.04	2,844.19	2,832.09	2,888.81	2,891.08	2,891.08	2,891.08	2,891.08	2,891.08
El Salvador			40.34	40.85	41.36	41.46	41.56	41.56	41.56	41.56	41.56	41.56	41.56	41.56	41.56
Eritrea			4.10	4.10	4.10	4.10	4.10	4.10	4.10	4.10	4.10	4.10	4.10	4.10	4.10
Eswatini			25.89	25.89	25.89	25.89	25.89	25.89	25.89	25.89	25.89	25.89	25.89	25.89	25.89
Ethiopia				178.37	466.77	499.50	532.24	564.97	597.70	630.44	630.44	630.44	630.44	630.44	630.44
France			130.80	126.80	100.83	107.58	114.33	121.08	119.78	118.48	117.18	115.88	115.88	115.88	129.00
Gambia			2.15	2.15	2.15	2.15	2.15	2.15	2.15	2.15	2.15	2.15	2.15	2.15	2.15
Georgia			368.93	371.84	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00
Germany					13.26	13.62	13.98	14.34	32.77	51.20	51.20	53.52	55.84	58.16	58.16
Ghana			24.60	24.60	24.60	24.60	24.60	24.60	24.60	24.60	24.60	24.60	24.60	24.60	24.60
Guatemala			164.20	202.19	211.17	212.96	214.76	214.76	214.76	214.76	214.76	214.76	214.76	214.76	214.76
Guinea			19.08	19.93	19.93	19.93	19.93	19.93	19.93	19.93	19.93	19.93	19.93	19.93	19.93
Guinea-Bissau			8.56	8.56	8.56	8.56	8.56	8.56	8.56	8.56	8.56	8.56	8.56	8.56	8.56
Guyana			147.06	145.37	143.68	143.34	143.00	143.00	143.00	143.00	143.00	143.00	143.00	143.00	143.00
Haiti			91.50	91.50	91.50	91.50	91.50	91.50	91.50	91.50	91.50	91.50	91.50	91.50	91.50
Honduras			73.21	73.21	73.21	73.21	73.21	73.21	73.21	73.21	73.21	73.21	73.21	73.21	73.21
Hungary					31.61	24.27	24.22	26.30	24.78	16.89	9.00	11.00	14.00	9.00	12.12
India			58,564.75	62,600.16	65,809.67	66,597.13	67,384.60	68,172.06	68,172.06	68,172.06	68,172.06	68,172.06	68,172.06	68,172.06	68,172.06
Indonesia		4,307.63	5,447.56	6,722.00	6,722.00	6,722.00	6,722.00	6,722.00	6,722.00	6,722.00	6,722.00	6,722.00	6,722.00	6,722.00	6,722.00
Iran (Islamic Republic of)			7,354.30	7,532.53	7,951.11	7,951.11	7,951.11	7,951.11	7,951.11	7,951.11	7,951.11	7,951.11	7,951.11	7,951.11	7,951.11
Italy	2,561.10	2,473.48	2,429.67	2,407.76	2,267.96	2,322.41	2,376.86	2,431.30	2,135.20	1,839.10	1,543.00	1,754.52	1,897.82	1,797.66	1,797.66
Jamaica			19.96	21.48	23.01	25.73	28.46	31.18	33.90	33.90	33.90	33.90	33.90	33.90	33.90
Japan		2,869.00	2,670.21	2,556.08	2,010.00	2,047.10	2,084.20	2,121.30	2,158.40	2,195.50	2,232.60	2,269.70	2,306.80	2,317.04	2,326.27
Jordan			24.28	14.07	18.00	16.95	16.81	18.17	18.45	18.19	18.72	16.95	15.19	13.42	13.42
Kazakhstan			1,514.88	1,336.94	1,159.00	1,170.78	1,182.57	1,194.35	1,206.13	1,217.92	1,229.70	1,231.60	1,264.40	983.50	1,055.47
Kenya			40.69	57.01	101.50	107.35	113.20	119.05	124.90	130.76	136.61	136.61	136.61	136.61	136.61
Kuwait			4.41	5.77	8.34	8.83	9.31	9.79	10.27	10.75	10.75	10.75	10.75	10.75	10.75
Kyrgyzstan			1,029.64	1,021.00	1,021.00	1,021.00	1,021.00	1,021.00	1,021.00	1,021.00	1,021.00	1,021.00	1,021.00	1,021.00	1,021.00
Lao People's Democratic Republic			217.03	278.66	340.29	352.62	364.95	377.27	389.60	387.50	399.00	378.10	366.66	367.83	367.83
Lebanon			65.08	62.46	59.84	59.32	58.80	58.27	57.75	57.22	57.22	57.22	57.22	57.22	57.22
Madagascar			829.30	829.30	829.30	829.30	829.30	829.30	829.30	829.30	829.30	829.30	829.30	829.30	829.30
Malawi			6.36	8.14	10.07	10.47	10.47	10.47	10.47	10.47	10.47	10.47	10.47	10.47	10.47
Malaysia		342.00	353.56	364.36	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00	373.00
Mali			97.50	129.05	160.59	166.90	166.90	166.90	166.90	166.90	166.90	166.90	166.90	166.90	166.90
Malta		0.11	0.30	0.45	0.47	0.52	0.57	0.62	0.48	0.34	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.20	0.21
Mauritius			2.02	1.77	0.71	0.89	1.14	0.87	0.57	0.34	0.32	0.29	0.28	0.26	0.26
Mexico			5,842.90	5,630.30	5,178.24	5,188.48	5,198.72	5,208.96	5,219.20	5,288.80	5,854.12	5,857.56	5,841.48	5,842.95	5,843.74
Mongolia			13.90	13.90	13.90	13.90	13.90	13.90	13.90	13.90	13.90	13.90	13.90	13.90	13.90
Montenegro					0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Morocco		1,012.55	1,278.05	1,185.43	1,067.57	1,044.00	1,044.00	1,044.00	1,044.00	1,044.00	1,044.00	1,044.00	1,044.00	1,044.00	1,044.00
Myanmar			1,848.33	2,083.00	2,083.00	2,083.00	2,083.00	2,083.00	2,083.00	2,083.00	2,083.00	2,083.00	2,083.00	2,083.00	2,083.00
Namibia			2.95	2.95	2.95	2.95	2.95	2.95	2.95	2.95	2.95	2.95	2.95	2.95	2.95
Nepal			1,134.00	1,134.00	1,134.00	1,134.00	1,134.00	1,134.00	1,134.00	1,134.00	1,134.00	1,134.00	1,134.00	1,134.00	1,134.00
New Zealand					101.05	97.76	94.48	83.44	72.41	61.37	50.33	39.30	33.34	27.38	27.38
Nicaragua			85.91	135.97	188.32	198.79	174.97	151.15	127.33	103.51	79.69	55.86	55.86	55.86	55.86
Niger						13.74	12.83	11.91	11.00	14.00	15.00	15.34	15.34	15.34	15.34
Nigeria				238.10	238.10	238.10	238.10	238.10	238.10	238.10	238.10	238.10	238.10	238.10	238.10
Oman			50.72	46.66	46.68	46.69	46.69	46.69	46.70	46.70	48.10	49.60	51.40	50.91	58.07
Pakistan					19,270.00	19,270.00	19,270.00	19,270.00	19,270.00	19,270.00	19,270.00	19,270.00	19,270.00	19,270.00	19,270.00
Panama			25.27	24.51	23.90	23.90	23.90	23.90	23.90	23.90	23.90	23.90	23.90	23.90	23.90
Peru			1,918.67	2,103.39	2,288.11	2,325.06	2,362.00	2,362.00	2,362.00	2,362.00	2,362.00	2,362.00	2,362.00	2,362.00	2,362.00
Philippines			1,719.08	1,839.85	1,702.60	1,662.25	1,719.77	1,665.22	1,693.99	1,716.80	1,840.77	1,872.51	1,872.51	1,872.51	1,872.51
Poland					75.62	72.84	70.06	67.29	125.04	182.79	240.55	313.74	386.94	460.14	533.34
Portugal									147.50	144.70	141.80	141.80	141.80	141.80	141.80
Puerto Rico		5.67	2.17	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Qatar				9.27	8.71	8.60	8.49	8.38	8.27	8.86	8.27	8.70	9.91	9.91	9.91
Republic of Korea			888.80	888.80	888.80	888.80	888.80	888.80	888.80	888.80	888.80	888.80	888.80	888.80	888.80
Republic of Moldova			276.93	161.02	68.30	68.30	68.30	68.30	68.30	68.30	68.30	67.36	66.42	66.42	66.42
Romania		420.00	427.91	112.24	58.14	49.42	40.70	31.99	35.61	39.23	42.85	46.47	46.47	46.47	46.47
Rwanda			3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50	3.50
Sao Tome and Principe											5.00	5.00	5.00	5.00	5.00
Saudi Arabia			653.00	771.72	1,100.34	1,166.07	1,231.79	1,297.51	1,363.24	1,428.96	1,428.96	1,428.96	1,428.96	1,428.96	1,428.96
Senegal			94.50	102.20	102.20	102.20	102.20	102.20	102.20	102.20	102.20	102.20	102.20	102.20	102.20
Serbia									0.24	0.18	0.09	0.13	0.10	0.06	0.05
Seychelles				0.02	0.02	0.02	0.02	0.02	0.02	0.02	0.02	0.02	0.02	0.02	0.02
Sierra Leone			1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Somalia				50.00	50.00	50.00	50.00	50.00	50.00	50.00	50.00	50.00	50.00	50.00	50.00
South Africa			500.00	506.68	513.35	534.38	385.00	343.41	301.81	260.22	218.63	177.04	182.03	218.17	212.32
Sri Lanka		537.06	570.00	570.00	570.00	570.00	570.00	570.00	570.00	570.00	570.00	570.00	570.00	570.00	570.00
Suriname			50.32	50.32	50.32	50.32	50.32	50.32	50.32	50.32	50.32	50.32	50.32	50.32	50.32
Syrian Arab Republic			1,196.28	1,208.50	1,043.00	1,043.00	1,043.00	1,043.00	1,043.00	1,043.00	1,043.00	1,043.00	1,043.00	1,043.00	1,043.00
Tajikistan			728.36	735.99	742.10	742.10	742.10	742.10	742.10	742.10	742.10	742.10	742.10	742.10	742.10
Thailand			5,380.75	6,119.50	6,415.00	6,415.00	6,415.00	6,415.00	6,415.00	6,415.00	6,415.00	6,415.00	6,415.00	6,415.00	6,415.00
Togo		1.45	2.30	2.30	2.30	2.30	2.30	2.30	2.30	2.30	2.30	2.30	2.30	2.30	2.30
Trinidad and Tobago		2.84	3.93	5.44	5.44	5.44	5.44	5.44	5.44	5.44	5.44	5.44	5.44	5.44	5.44
Tunisia			303.94	239.45	209.86	199.63	189.40	167.79	146.18	124.56	102.95	106.89	94.00	95.00	95.00
Turkey			4,235.18	4,592.00	4,650.67	4,670.33	4,690.00	4,690.00	4,690.00	4,690.00	4,690.00	4,690.00	4,690.00	4,690.00	4,690.00
Turkmenistan			1,867.50	1,970.42	1,991.00	1,991.00	1,991.00	1,991.00	1,991.00	1,991.00	1,991.00	1,991.00	1,991.00	1,991.00	1,991.00
Uganda			5.49	5.84	6.18	6.25	6.32	6.32	6.32	6.32	6.32	6.32	6.32	6.32	6.32
Ukraine			525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00
United Arab Emirates			26.58	22.50	11.00	9.86	8.72	7.58	6.43	5.29	4.15	7.76	7.26	8.05	8.02
United Kingdom				117.00	53.40	57.20	60.99	64.78	82.04	99.30	116.56	116.56	116.56	116.56	116.56
United States of America					12,325.20	12,201.60	12,078.00	12,078.00	12,078.00	12,078.00	12,078.00	12,078.00	12,078.00	12,078.00	12,078.00
Uruguay			183.92	191.23	198.54	200.00	200.00	200.00	200.00	200.00	200.00	200.00	200.00	200.00	200.00
Uzbekistan			4,276.00	4,276.00	4,276.00	4,276.00	4,276.00	4,276.00	4,276.00	4,276.00	4,276.00	4,276.00	4,276.00	4,276.00	4,276.00
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)		366.70	508.32	650.31	735.50	735.50	735.50	735.50	735.50	735.50	735.50	735.50	735.50	735.50	735.50
Viet Nam		2,900.00	3,864.00	4,584.00	4,584.00	4,584.00	4,584.00	4,584.00	4,584.00	4,584.00	4,584.00	4,584.00	4,584.00	4,584.00	4,584.00
Yemen			420.52	453.80	453.80	453.80	453.80	453.80	453.80	453.80	453.80	453.80	453.80	453.80	453.80
Zambia			31.43	32.19	32.19	32.19	32.19	32.19	32.19	32.19	32.19	32.19	32.19	32.19	32.19
Zimbabwe		19.25	45.50	38.73	31.96	30.61	29.26	27.90	26.55	39.19	39.73	40.40	45.19	45.19	45.19
Iraq													675.00
Luxembourg										0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
South Sudan												12.70	12.70	12.70	12.70
Spain					1,043.70	1,031.67	1,020.25	1,004.78	986.46	978.26	943.20	834.54	834.54	902.16	888.09
Palestine															23.00

Surface irrigation (thousand ha)

Knoema

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