Top 25 Largest Landowners in the World

The land is distributed very unevenly: take the British royal family, for example, which owns one sixth of the entire land. And most of the large private landowners are in Australia. In this article, we have collected information about the largest landowners in the world. We will tell you who they are, what territories they own and how they use them.

Before looking at specific landowners, it is important to understand the overall context of land distribution on the planet:

• The total area of ​​the Earth consists of 71% water and 29% land.
• Total land area: 36 billion acres. Usable land: 15 billion acres. On average, there are about 2 acres of land per person on the planet.

Top 5 Largest Landowners in the World

We will tell you the most important things about the five largest land owners on the planet.

1. The British Royal Family

Total land area: 6.6 billion acres (2.671 billion hectares).

King Charles III and the royal family own:

• One sixth of the planet's surface.
• 90% of Canada's territory.
• Extensive possessions in Great Britain.
• Numerous properties in London.

The royal family's holdings have a long history, and many of them have been passed down through generations. The royal family manages the property and other significant assets, including land used for agriculture, hunting and other activities.

2. Catholic Church

Total area: 177 million acres (71.6 million hectares).

The church owns:

• Temples and religious buildings around the world.
• Educational institutions.
• Apostolic Palace.
• Holy Stairs (Scala Sancta).
• Agricultural land.

The church also owns significant financial assets, including real estate and business investments, making it one of the most influential non-profit organizations in the world.

3. Inuit of Nunavut*

Total area: 87.5 million acres (71.6 million hectares).

The territory was acquired under the 1993 Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, the largest land agreement in Canadian history.

4. Gina Rinehart

Total area: 23.97 million acres (9.7 million hectares).

Australia's richest woman owns:

• Mining enterprises.
• Cattle farms.
• Forest lands.
• The fortune is estimated at more than 30 billion dollars.

5. Inuvialuit**

Total area: 22.49 million acres (9.1 million hectares).

The territory is defined by the 1984 agreement and includes the lands of:

• Northern Yukon.
• Northwest Territories.

*The Inuit are an indigenous people living in the northern regions of Canada, including the territory of Nunavut. They number about 50,000 people. The Inuit are traditional hunters, fishers, and gatherers. Their culture includes unique art forms such as bone carving and throat singing.

**The Inuvialuit are a group of Inuit who live in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in northwestern Canada. They are also an Aboriginal people and share similar cultural and linguistic characteristics with other Inuit.

Major private and corporate landowners

Summary table of private landowners:

Features of private lands

Most of the large private lands are in Australia. But there are also some in other countries: China, Sweden, Russia and South Africa. These lands are mainly used for agriculture.

There are different types of private lands:

• Family: 1) farms where several generations work; 2) mixed farms where different types of agriculture are practiced.
• Corporate: 1) agribusiness companies that produce food; 2) forestry corporations that work with trees; 3) companies that extract minerals from the earth.
• Specialized: 1) Dairy farms, such as Mudanjiang City Mega Farm; 2) Sheep farms, such as Jumbuck Pastoral; 3) Farms that breed elite cattle breeds, such as the Hughes family.

What do they do on these lands:

• They breed cattle and animals.
• They grow plants.
• They work with trees.
• They extract minerals.
• They are engaged in various types of agriculture.

Summary table of the largest landowners of all types

Source of statistical data: madisontrust.com.