Gross Domestic Product by Arable Land in South America

The chart above shows economic output as it relates to arable land.  The countries to the top left have a larger ratio of gross domestic product (GDP) to arable land, while countries to the bottom right have a smaller ratio of GDP to arable land.  Colombia, Chile, and Ecuador have the largest ratio of GDP to area whereas Argentina, Paraguay, and Guyana have the smallest ratio of GDP to area.

Findings

• All countries have a GDP per square kilometer of arable land between one million and 100 million international dollars.
• Paraguay has the smallest ratio of GDP to arable land with an economy of just over one million times that of its arable land in square kilometers.
• Colombia has the largest ratio of GDP to arable land with an economy of over 45 million times that of its arable land in square kilometers.

Caveats

• Arable land may be a better attribute to use than total land area because it indicates where people are willing to live however, countries are likely to have resources beyond what can be found within their arable lands.
• Bolivia, French Guiana, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and Venezuela were missing data.

Details

The two biggest economies tend to have a limited economic output per square kilometer of arable land.  The third largest economy however, has the best economic output per unit of arable land.

The economic output per unit of arable land seems completely random in South America.

Data

Code	Country	Arable Land (square km)	GDP (in millions)	GDP Per Square Kilometer
PY	Paraguay	54,756	68,005	1,241,964
GY	Guyana	4,515	6,398	1,417,054
AR	Argentina	386,476	912,816	2,361,896
UY	Uruguay	17,798	77,800	4,371,278
BR	Brazil	732,359	3,216,031	4,391,331
PE	Peru	39,841	429,711	10,785,648
SR	Suriname	655	7,961	12,154,198
EC	Ecuador	13,334	184,629	13,846,483
CL	Chile	12,854	455,941	35,470,748
CO	Colombia	15,946	720,151	45,161,859

Sources

"Report for Selected Countries and Subjects."  https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2017/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=43&pr.y=19&sy=2017&ey=2017&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512%2C672%2C914%2C946%2C612%2C137%2C614%2C546%2C311%2C962%2C213%2C674%2C911%2C676%2C193%2C548%2C122%2C556%2C912%2C678%2C313%2C181%2C419%2C867%2C513%2C682%2C316%2C684%2C913%2C273%2C124%2C868%2C339%2C921%2C638%2C948%2C514%2C943%2C218%2C686%2C963%2C688%2C616%2C518%2C223%2C728%2C516%2C558%2C918%2C138%2C748%2C196%2C618%2C278%2C624%2C692%2C522%2C694%2C622%2C142%2C156%2C449%2C626%2C564%2C628%2C565%2C228%2C283%2C924%2C853%2C233%2C288%2C632%2C293%2C636%2C566%2C634%2C964%2C238%2C182%2C662%2C359%2C960%2C453%2C423%2C968%2C935%2C922%2C128%2C714%2C611%2C862%2C321%2C135%2C243%2C716%2C248%2C456%2C469%2C722%2C253%2C942%2C642%2C718%2C643%2C724%2C939%2C576%2C644%2C936%2C819%2C961%2C172%2C813%2C132%2C199%2C646%2C733%2C648%2C184%2C915%2C524%2C134%2C361%2C652%2C362%2C174%2C364%2C328%2C732%2C258%2C366%2C656%2C734%2C654%2C144%2C336%2C146%2C263%2C463%2C268%2C528%2C532%2C923%2C944%2C738%2C176%2C578%2C534%2C537%2C536%2C742%2C429%2C866%2C433%2C369%2C178%2C744%2C436%2C186%2C136%2C925%2C343%2C869%2C158%2C746%2C439%2C926%2C916%2C466%2C664%2C112%2C826%2C111%2C542%2C298%2C967%2C927%2C443%2C846%2C917%2C299%2C544%2C582%2C941%2C474%2C446%2C754%2C666%2C698%2C668&s=PPPGDP&grp=0&a=.  International Monetary Fund.

US Department of State.  2017.  "The World Factbook."  Accessed September 21, 2017.  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2147.html.