Africa vs China, mainland: Cereals, primary — Area harvested

Africa
132.85 million ha
in 2024
China, mainland
100.29 million ha
in 2024
Africa rank
5th
China, mainland rank
4th

Cereals, primary — Area harvested over time

  • Africa
  • China, mainland
050.0M100.0M150.0M196119922024

How they compare

Africa currently reports 132.85 million ha against 100.29 million ha in China, mainland, a difference of 32.56 million ha.

That makes Africa's figure about 1.3 times China, mainland's.

The two have swapped places 7 times across 64 shared years of data; in 1961 it was China, mainland ahead.

Africa ranks 5th and China, mainland ranks 4th of 29 groups.

Across the 7 decades both report, Africa averaged higher in 3 and China, mainland in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Africa China, mainland Difference Ahead
1960s 61.47 million ha 90.88 million ha 29.41 million ha China, mainland
1970s 65.20 million ha 96.22 million ha 31.02 million ha China, mainland
1980s 70.41 million ha 90.77 million ha 20.36 million ha China, mainland
1990s 88.24 million ha 91.29 million ha 3.05 million ha China, mainland
2000s 99.09 million ha 83.31 million ha 15.78 million ha Africa
2010s 118.87 million ha 96.62 million ha 22.25 million ha Africa
2020s 128.80 million ha 99.31 million ha 29.49 million ha Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher cereals, primary — area harvested, Africa or China, mainland?
Africa, at 132.85 million ha against 100.29 million ha in China, mainland as of 2024.
What is the difference in cereals, primary — area harvested between Africa and China, mainland?
32.56 million ha, with Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Africa and China, mainland?
64 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2024.
How do Africa and China, mainland rank globally for cereals, primary — area harvested?
Africa ranks 5th and China, mainland ranks 4th of 29 groups.
Where does this data come from?
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as Cereals, primary — Area harvested. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Africa vs China, mainland: Cereals, primary — Area harvested. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/compare/cereals-primary-area-harvested/africa/china-mainland/

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About this data

Indicator
Cereals, primary — Area harvested
Unit
ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
226 places, 12,898 data points, 1961–2024
Last refreshed

Crop and livestock statistics are recorded for 278 products, covering the following categories: 1) CROPS PRIMARY: Cereals, Citrus Fruit, Fibre Crops, Fruit, Oil Crops, Oil Crops and Cakes in Oil Equivalent, Pulses, Roots and Tubers, Sugar Crops, Treenuts and Vegetables. Data are expressed in terms of area harvested, production quantity and yield. Cereals: Area and 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 or used for grazing are therefore excluded. 2) CROPS PROCESSED: Beer of barley; Cotton lint; Cottonseed; Margarine, short; Molasses; Oil, coconut (copra); Oil, cottonseed; Oil, groundnut; Oil, linseed; Oil, maize; Oil, olive, virgin; Oil, palm; Oil, palm kernel; Oil, rapeseed; Oil, safflower; Oil, sesame; Oil, soybean; Oil, sunflower; Palm kernels; Sugar Raw Centrifugal; Wine. 3) LIVE ANIMALS: Animals live n.e.s.; Asses; Beehives; Buffaloes; Camelids, other; Camels; Cattle; Chickens; Ducks; Geese and guinea fowls; Goats; Horses; Mules; Pigeons, other birds; Pigs; Rabbits and hares; Rodents, other; Sheep; Turkeys. 4) LIVESTOCK PRIMARY: Beeswax; Eggs (various types); Hides buffalo, fresh; Hides, cattle, fresh; Honey, natural; Meat (ass, bird nes, buffalo, camel, cattle, chicken, duck, game, goat, goose and guinea fowl, horse, mule, Meat nes, meat other camelids, Meat other rodents, pig, rabbit, sheep, turkey); Milk (buffalo, camel, cow, goat, sheep); Offals, nes; Silk-worm cocoons, reelable; Skins (goat, sheep); Snails, not sea; Wool, greasy. 5) LIVESTOCK PROCESSED: Butter (of milk from sheep, goat, buffalo, cow); Cheese (of milk from goat, buffalo, sheep, cow milk); Cheese of skimmed cow milk; Cream fresh; Ghee (cow and buffalo milk); Lard; Milk (dry buttermilk, skimmed condensed, skimmed cow, skimmed dried, skimmed evaporated, whole condensed, whole dried, whole evaporated); Silk raw; Tallow; Whey (condensed and dry); Yoghurt.