China vs India: Cereal production
China
641.73 million metric tons
in 2023
India
391.12 million metric tons
in 2024
China rank
1st
India rank
3rd
Cereal production over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 641.73 million metric tons against 391.12 million metric tons in India, a difference of 250.61 million metric tons.
That makes China's figure about 1.6 times India's.
Across all 63 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and India ranks 3rd of 181 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 151.97 million metric tons | 91.42 million metric tons | 60.55 million metric tons | China |
| 1970s | 234.74 million metric tons | 121.91 million metric tons | 112.83 million metric tons | China |
| 1980s | 333.38 million metric tons | 162.55 million metric tons | 170.83 million metric tons | China |
| 1990s | 421.98 million metric tons | 210.25 million metric tons | 211.73 million metric tons | China |
| 2000s | 428.22 million metric tons | 240.75 million metric tons | 187.47 million metric tons | China |
| 2010s | 574.69 million metric tons | 297.66 million metric tons | 277.03 million metric tons | China |
| 2020s | 631.07 million metric tons | 356.08 million metric tons | 274.99 million metric tons | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cereal production, China or India?
- China, at 641.73 million metric tons against 391.12 million metric tons in India as of 2023.
- What is the difference in cereal production between China and India?
- 250.61 million metric tons, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do China and India rank globally for cereal production?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 3rd of 181 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Cereal production (metric tons). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.