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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteForeign-held interests in U.S. agricultural land rose by 1.58 million acres between the year-end 2022 and year-end 2023 snapshots, reaching 45.85 million acres, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2025 analysis of USDA disclosures. That is the basis for the rounded 1.6-million-acre headline—but it is not a count of acres purchased during calendar 2023. The federal measure includes qualifying long-term leases as well as ownership, and “agricultural land” includes forestland, not just cropland.
The latest national figure is higher: USDA reported 46.3 million acres as of December 31, 2024, up 1.3 million acres from the prior year. The 2023 figures below remain useful for understanding what the increase represented and where reported interests were concentrated.
What the 1.6-million-acre increase measures
The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA) requires disclosures about foreign persons’ interests in U.S. agricultural land. The USDA Farm Service Agency compiles those filings into annual reports to Congress. The measure is broader than outright purchases: it can include qualifying leaseholds, and “foreign persons” can include individuals, companies, and governments. A foreign-held interest does not, by itself, mean a foreign government owns the land.
The Farm Bureau’s analysis of USDA AFIDA data puts foreign-held interests at 45.85 million acres in 2023, up 1.58 million acres, or 3.6%, from 2022. USDA’s own 2023 annual report described the increase as approximately 1.5 million acres and the year-end total as nearly 45 million. The difference reflects rounding and presentation; both figures describe reported holdings in annual snapshots.
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Some filings made in 2023 concerned transactions that likely should have been reported earlier, according to the Farm Bureau analysis. As a result, the year-over-year change can reflect when interests were disclosed as well as changes in holdings. AFIDA is a disclosure-based dataset, not an independent census or a verified registry of every tract.
How much U.S. agricultural land was held by foreign investors?
In 2023, the Farm Bureau estimated that foreign-held interests represented 3.61% of total privately held U.S. agricultural land. Forestland made up the largest category; cropland was a little under one-third.
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| Land category | 2023 acres | Share of foreign-held acres |
|---|---|---|
| Forestland | 21.9 million | 48% |
| Cropland | 13.2 million | 29% |
| Pastureland | 7.7 million | 17% |
| Other agricultural and non-agricultural land | 2.9 million | 6% |
These figures come from the Farm Bureau’s 2025 analysis of USDA AFIDA data. The broad acreage total should not be read as 45.85 million acres of crop-producing farmland: nearly half of the reported acreage was forestland.
Where were foreign-held interests concentrated?
Texas had the most foreign-held acreage in the 2023 snapshot: USDA reported more than 5.6 million acres, while the Farm Bureau’s analysis put the figure at 5.7 million. Maine ranked second by total acres in the Farm Bureau analysis, at 3.5 million, and had the highest share of its agricultural acreage held by foreign investors—more than 21%. Acreage and share answer different questions: Texas led in the number of acres, while Maine led in proportion.
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Canada was the largest source by predominant investor origin in the Farm Bureau analysis, accounting for 15.35 million acres, or 33.5% of foreign-held U.S. agricultural land in 2023. This attribution describes reported investor interests; it is not a measure of land owned by the Canadian government.
Forty-two states saw increases in reported foreign-held acreage from 2022 to 2023, according to the Farm Bureau analysis. The largest increases were in New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Oregon, and South Carolina. The analysis associated much of the growth in New Mexico and Texas with wind projects, and growth in Arkansas, Oregon, and South Carolina with timber expansions. Those are the Farm Bureau’s interpretations of the data, not causal findings established by USDA.
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How much of the increase was tied to renewable energy?
The Farm Bureau estimated that 54% of the 1.58-million-acre increase was linked to renewable-energy-related entities. It arrived at that estimate by searching reporting-entity names for terms such as “wind,” “solar,” “energy,” and “renewable.” This is a minimum estimate under that method, not an audit of each tract’s actual use: company names can miss relevant entities, and the keyword categories can overlap.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does AFIDA require foreign investors to report?
USDA guidance generally requires a report within 90 days of a transaction. The agency’s notice covers agricultural holdings of 10 acres or more and leaseholds lasting 10 years or longer. Tracts totaling 10 acres or less must also be reported when annual gross receipts from farm, ranch, forestry, or timber products exceed $1,000. USDA says late, inaccurate, or missing reports may result in fines of up to 25% of the fair market value of the interest.
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USDA offers an online AFIDA portal and the FSA-153 paper form. The portal collects the same information as the form; USDA tells filers not to submit duplicate disclosures through both channels. Check the agency’s current instructions for filing details and applicable requirements.
How current and reliable are the figures?
USDA’s 2024 AFIDA annual report, released in January 2026, says foreign-held agricultural land totaled 46.3 million acres as of December 31, 2024, an increase of 1.3 million acres. That is the latest national total available in the cited reporting. The available 2024 summary does not establish which states or land uses drove that year’s change, so 2023 state patterns should not be treated as current explanations.
USDA cautions that detailed AFIDA spreadsheets can contain errors, including typographical errors from manually entered paper filings. The agency generally makes historical corrections in the next annual report and data posting rather than revising older spreadsheets. These limitations matter when interpreting small differences or comparing annual changes as if they were a precise count of completed purchases.
Quick Recap
Where to check the official figures
- USDA Farm Service Agency AFIDA resources provide annual reports and information about the program.
- USDA’s January 2026 announcement of the online portal describes the updated filing channel.
- The American Farm Bureau Federation’s analysis details its calculations and interpretation of the 2023 data.
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