Rice paddies have decreased for 20 consecutive years... Idle land increases due to reduced rice consumption and aging population

Statistics Korea Announces 2023 Cultivated Land Area Survey Results

The area of rice paddies has decreased for 20 consecutive years due to reduced rice consumption and an increase in idle land caused by an aging population.

According to the '2023 Cultivated Land Area Survey Results' announced by Statistics Korea on the 27th, the total cultivated land area nationwide last year was 1,512,000 hectares, a decrease of 1.1% (16,000 hectares) compared to the previous year.

Among this, the area of rice paddies was 763,989 hectares, down 11,651 hectares (-1.5%) from the previous year (775,640 hectares). The area of rice paddies has been declining for 20 years since related statistics began in 2004 (-1.0%).

During the same period, the area of dry fields was 748,156 hectares, a decrease of 4,441 hectares (-0.6%) from the previous year (752,597 hectares). However, the dry field area increased by 3.8% compared to 2004 (720,684 hectares).

This year, the proportion of rice paddies and dry fields within the total cultivated land area was 50.5% and 49.5%, respectively. In 2015, these ratios were 54.1% and 45.9%, showing a narrowing trend.

By province, the cultivated land area was largest in Jeonnam with 274,000 hectares (18.1%), followed by Gyeongbuk with 244,000 hectares (16.1%), and Chungnam with 214,000 hectares (14.1%).

By province, the rice paddy area was highest in Jeonnam with 164,000 hectares (21.4%), followed by Chungnam with 140,000 hectares (18.3%), Jeonbuk with 122,000 hectares (15.9%), and Gyeongbuk with 101,000 hectares (13.2%). The dry field area was largest in Gyeongbuk with 143,000 hectares (19.2%), followed by Jeonnam with 111,000 hectares (14.8%), Chungnam with 74,000 hectares (9.8%), and Gyeonggi with 70,000 hectares (9.4%).