China vs USSR: Cereal production
China
651.36 million tonnes
in 2024
USSR
155.96 million tonnes
in 1991
China rank
1st
USSR rank
1st
Cereal production over time
- China
- USSR
How they compare
China currently reports 651.36 million tonnes against 155.96 million tonnes in USSR, a difference of 495.40 million tonnes.
That makes China's figure about 4.2 times USSR's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 31 shared years of data; in 1961 it was USSR ahead.
China ranks 1st and USSR ranks 1st of 185 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | USSR | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 151.97 million tonnes | 128.35 million tonnes | 23.62 million tonnes | China |
| 1970s | 234.74 million tonnes | 172.78 million tonnes | 61.96 million tonnes | China |
| 1980s | 333.38 million tonnes | 171.10 million tonnes | 162.28 million tonnes | China |
| 1990s | 399.55 million tonnes | 182.53 million tonnes | 217.01 million tonnes | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cereal production, China or USSR?
- China, at 651.36 million tonnes against 155.96 million tonnes in USSR as of 2024.
- What is the difference in cereal production between China and USSR?
- 495.40 million tonnes, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and USSR?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 1991.
- How do China and USSR rank globally for cereal production?
- China ranks 1st and USSR ranks 1st of 185 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Cereal production. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Cereals include wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, and mixed grains.