Land under cereal production — all countries

Land under cereal production — Sub-Saharan Africa

Land under cereal production in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024 — 85,368,949 ha. Since 1961, the indicator has risen by 80.3%.

2024 85.37M ha −28.35% vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 119M ha2023
Period minimum 47.34M ha1961

Trend over time

1961–2024 · hectares

Land under cereal production — Sub-Saharan Africa, 1961–202440M60M80M100M120M19611968197519821989199620032010201720241961: 47,335,897 ha1963: 49,420,633 ha1965: 51,220,507 ha1967: 52,872,862 ha1969: 57,272,078 ha1971: 55,634,376 ha1973: 54,488,336 ha1975: 52,397,483 ha1977: 53,220,988 ha1979: 50,528,502 ha1981: 51,516,202 ha1983: 52,925,587 ha1985: 60,778,229 ha1987: 63,569,732 ha1989: 68,884,553 ha1991: 71,327,739 ha1993: 73,088,764 ha1995: 77,962,692 ha1997: 81,085,635 ha1999: 77,838,539 ha2001: 78,762,098 ha2003: 87,578,308 ha2005: 94,200,227 ha2007: 91,538,471 ha2009: 91,046,632 ha2011: 99,904,227 ha2013: 104,219,333 ha2015: 102,371,335 ha2017: 111,148,888 ha2019: 112,238,558 ha2021: 115,172,288 ha2023: 119,148,892 ha2024: 85,368,949 ha
Change over the period: +38.03M (+80.35%) Average annual rate: 0.94 %

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa 85.37M ha
World 416M ha
Land under cereal production — Sub-Saharan Africa, by year Sub-Saharan Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year ha Change Change, %
2024 85.37M −33.78M −28.35%
2023 119M +1.65M +1.4%
2022 118M +2.33M +2.02%
2021 115M +381,063 +0.33%
2020 115M +2.55M +2.27%
2019 112M −4.31M −3.7%
2018 117M +5.4M +4.86%
2017 111M −619,710 −0.55%
2016 112M +9.4M +9.18%
2015 102M −5.41M −5.02%
2014 108M +3.56M +3.41%
2013 104M +6.91M +7.1%
2012 97.31M −2.6M −2.6%
2011 99.9M +279,485 +0.28%
2010 99.62M +8.58M +9.42%
2009 91.05M −5.22M −5.42%
2008 96.27M +4.73M +5.16%
2007 91.54M +979,682 +1.08%
2006 90.56M −3.64M −3.87%
2005 94.2M +11.95M +14.53%
2004 82.25M −5.33M −6.09%
2003 87.58M +7.26M +9.04%
2002 80.32M +1.56M +1.97%
2001 78.76M +1.75M +2.27%
2000 77.02M −821,568 −1.06%
1999 77.84M −2.36M −2.94%
1998 80.2M −885,796 −1.09%
1997 81.09M +1.58M +1.98%
1996 79.51M +1.55M +1.98%
1995 77.96M −2.87M −3.55%
1994 80.83M +7.74M +10.6%
1993 73.09M −162,800 −0.22%
1992 73.25M +1.92M +2.7%
1991 71.33M +4.5M +6.73%
1990 66.83M −2.06M −2.99%
1989 68.88M −645,645 −0.93%
1988 69.53M +5.96M +9.38%
1987 63.57M −1.68M −2.58%
1986 65.25M +4.47M +7.36%
1985 60.78M +5.55M +10.04%
1984 55.23M +2.3M +4.36%
1983 52.93M +1.5M +2.91%
1982 51.43M −88,077 −0.17%
1981 51.52M −1.23M −2.34%
1980 52.75M +2.22M +4.4%
1979 50.53M −1.65M −3.15%
1978 52.17M −1.05M −1.97%
1977 53.22M −2.4M −4.32%
1976 55.62M +3.22M +6.15%
1975 52.4M −2.5M −4.55%
1974 54.89M +405,366 +0.74%
1973 54.49M +1.92M +3.64%
1972 52.57M −3.06M −5.5%
1971 55.63M +301,939 +0.55%
1970 55.33M −1.94M −3.39%
1969 57.27M +5.52M +10.66%
1968 51.76M −1.12M −2.11%
1967 52.87M +3.37M +6.81%
1966 49.5M −1.72M −3.36%
1965 51.22M +1.68M +3.4%
1964 49.54M +117,593 +0.24%
1963 49.42M +979,552 +2.02%
1962 48.44M +1.11M +2.33%
1961 47.34M

About the indicator

The area harvested for cereal crops: wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, sorghum, millet and mixes. It is the harvested area rather than the sown area, so with two harvests a year one field is counted twice — which is exactly why in the tropics the land under cereals can exceed the area of arable land. Together with the grain harvest this series gives the yield, which is what explains the growth of world production with areas almost unchanged.

Important: Harvested area, not sown area: a field with two harvests a year is counted twice. Land under cereals grown for animal feed is included, land cut for hay is not.

Source: FAOSTAT (FAO), license CC BY 4.0.