How much of the planet is that?
Half of all habitable land is farmed, and more than three-quarters of that is used for livestock.
67% of an urban and built-up land
100,000,000 ha is larger than 0 of the 8 references on this page.
Reference figures are measurements and are rounded; the unit conversion behind them is exact.
| Reference | Size | Yours ÷ theirs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| urban and built-up land | 150,000,000 ha | 0.667× | 1% of habitable land |
| freshwater | 150,000,000 ha | 0.667× | |
| glaciers | 1,500,000,000 ha | 1/15 | |
| cropland | 1,600,000,000 ha | 1/16 | |
| shrub and barren land | 2,800,000,000 ha | 1/28 | |
| grazing land | 3,400,000,000 ha | 1/34 | |
| forest | 3,900,000,000 ha | 1/39 | |
| all land | 14,894,000,000 ha | 1/149 |
Worth knowing
- Cities and towns cover about 1% of habitable land. Livestock grazing covers about 38 times as much.
- Half of all habitable land is agricultural, and 77% of that produces meat and dairy — which supply 18% of calories.
Frequently asked
How much of the Earth is land?
29% — about 149 million km² — of which roughly 10% is glacier and another 19% barren desert, rock or salt flat.
How much land does food take?
About 51 million km², half of all habitable land. Reducing meat consumption is the only lever that changes that number substantially.