Nigeria vs South Africa: Maize production

Nigeria
9.18 million metric tons
in 2011
South Africa
10.36 million metric tons
in 2011
Nigeria rank
2nd
South Africa rank
1st

Maize production over time

  • Nigeria
  • South Africa
05.0M10.0M15.0M196119862011

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 10.36 million metric tons against 9.18 million metric tons in Nigeria, a difference of 1.18 million metric tons.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Nigeria's.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1961 it was South Africa ahead.

Nigeria ranks 2nd and South Africa ranks 1st of 49 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Nigeria South Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 1.09 million metric tons 5.78 million metric tons 4.69 million metric tons South Africa
1970s 888,800 metric tons 8.48 million metric tons 7.59 million metric tons South Africa
1980s 2.46 million metric tons 8.90 million metric tons 6.44 million metric tons South Africa
1990s 5.91 million metric tons 8.52 million metric tons 2.61 million metric tons South Africa
2000s 5.90 million metric tons 9.92 million metric tons 4.02 million metric tons South Africa
2010s 8.43 million metric tons 11.59 million metric tons 3.16 million metric tons South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher maize production, Nigeria or South Africa?
South Africa, at 10.36 million metric tons against 9.18 million metric tons in Nigeria as of 2011.
What is the difference in maize production between Nigeria and South Africa?
1.18 million metric tons, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
51 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2011.
How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for maize production?
Nigeria ranks 2nd and South Africa ranks 1st of 49 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as Maize production (metric tons). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Nigeria vs South Africa: Maize production. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/compare/maize-production-metric-tons/nigeria/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Maize production (metric tons)
Unit
metric tons
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
55 places, 2,720 data points, 1961–2011
Last refreshed

Production data on maize relate to crop harvested for dry grain only. Crop harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.