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Most farmland per person
Only about 6% of Australia's land is arable and suitable for agriculture, but the continent is huge, so that 6% is still a ton of usable farmland. Australia has around 1.9 arable hectares for every citizen, the highest ratio of arable land to population in the entire world. The United States has about 0.47.
If Australia reached the same ratio of arable land to people as the United States, it would be home to well over 90 million people. That is still far fewer than America has, and far more than Australia has today.
Fresh water follows the same pattern when Australia is compared with countries. It has an estimated 492 cubic kilometers of renewable freshwater resources, twice as much as Pakistan, which has more than eight times as many people.
How do Australian farmers grow wheat without irrigation?
Most Australian grain is grown on rain alone, a method called dryland farming. Farmers sow drought-tolerant varieties timed to the rains, and many leave the previous crop's stubble standing and skip plowing so the soil holds on to moisture. Australia has been one of the world's leading wheat exporters for decades. The biggest grain-growing regions are the wheatbelts of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales.
Why does so much Australian food go overseas?
A country of 26 million people eats only a fraction of what its large farmland can produce. Government figures from the agricultural agency ABARES have for years put the exported share of Australian farm output at around two thirds or more. Beef, wheat, barley, and wool are among the biggest exports. Australia has long ranked among the world's leading wool producers.
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