SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's arable land fell for the 12th straight year amid a continued trend of lower rice consumption and population aging, statistical office data showed Thursday.

Nationwide arable land totaled 1,504,615 hectares in 2024, down 0.5 percent from the previous year, according to Statistics Korea.

The cultivated land has kept sliding since 2013 as rice consumption has declined for decades due to changed eating habits.

An increase in unused land, caused by the aging population, and the creation of an industrial complex also contributed to the lower arable land.

The size of rice paddies shed 0.4 percent over the year to 761,011 hectares in 2024, accounting for 50.6 percent of the total.

Dry fields for agricultural production reduced 0.6 percent to 743,603 hectares last year. Enditem

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