Beef production in Nigeria
Nigeria: Beef production was 317,049 tonnes in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
317,049 tonnes
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
41st
of 198 countries
All-time high
437,724 tonnes
in 1985
All-time low
146,245 tonnes
in 1962
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Beef production in Nigeria, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, beef production in Nigeria stood at 317,049 tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 16.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, beef production in Nigeria peaked at 437,724 tonnes in 1985 and was at its lowest, 146,245 tonnes, in 1962.
That places Nigeria 41st out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Beef production in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 156,300 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 146,245 tonnes | -6.4% |
| 1963 | 151,918 tonnes | +3.9% |
| 1964 | 172,897 tonnes | +13.8% |
| 1965 | 183,492 tonnes | +6.1% |
| 1966 | 174,215 tonnes | -5.1% |
| 1967 | 170,551 tonnes | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 162,340 tonnes | -4.8% |
| 1969 | 198,591 tonnes | +22.3% |
| 1970 | 196,104 tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1971 | 188,332 tonnes | -4.0% |
| 1972 | 163,776 tonnes | -13.0% |
| 1973 | 226,483 tonnes | +38.3% |
| 1974 | 223,911 tonnes | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 182,179 tonnes | -18.6% |
| 1976 | 248,686 tonnes | +36.5% |
| 1977 | 218,191 tonnes | -12.3% |
| 1978 | 244,919 tonnes | +12.2% |
| 1979 | 274,981 tonnes | +12.3% |
| 1980 | 370,216 tonnes | +34.6% |
| 1981 | 329,125 tonnes | -11.1% |
| 1982 | 364,231 tonnes | +10.7% |
| 1983 | 411,797 tonnes | +13.1% |
| 1984 | 425,918 tonnes | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 437,724 tonnes | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 283,478 tonnes | -35.2% |
| 1987 | 266,734 tonnes | -5.9% |
| 1988 | 236,049 tonnes | -11.5% |
| 1989 | 217,530 tonnes | -7.8% |
| 1990 | 204,273 tonnes | -6.1% |
| 1991 | 205,000 tonnes | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 210,000 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 244,378 tonnes | +16.4% |
| 1994 | 264,319 tonnes | +8.2% |
| 1995 | 266,861 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 280,000 tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 294,000 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 1998 | 297,000 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 298,000 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 279,000 tonnes | -6.4% |
| 2001 | 316,031 tonnes | +13.3% |
| 2002 | 357,425 tonnes | +13.1% |
| 2003 | 307,827 tonnes | -13.9% |
| 2004 | 323,410 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 305,610 tonnes | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 259,457 tonnes | -15.1% |
| 2007 | 327,984 tonnes | +26.4% |
| 2008 | 328,250 tonnes | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 330,250 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 306,960 tonnes | -7.1% |
| 2011 | 350,009 tonnes | +14.0% |
| 2012 | 288,281 tonnes | -17.6% |
| 2013 | 377,794 tonnes | +31.1% |
| 2014 | 381,080 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 384,396 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 298,262 tonnes | -22.4% |
| 2017 | 300,856 tonnes | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 318,368 tonnes | +5.8% |
| 2019 | 326,118 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 325,428 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 324,910 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 321,916 tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 319,404 tonnes | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 317,049 tonnes | -0.7% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 317,049 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67,309 tonnes, 4.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 317,049 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 39,552 tonnes, 8.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 168,505 tonnes | 146,245 tonnes | 198,591 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 216,756 tonnes | 163,776 tonnes | 274,981 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 334,280 tonnes | 217,530 tonnes | 437,724 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 256,383 tonnes | 204,273 tonnes | 298,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 313,524 tonnes | 259,457 tonnes | 357,425 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 333,212 tonnes | 288,281 tonnes | 384,396 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 321,741 tonnes | 317,049 tonnes | 325,428 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3622 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is beef production in Nigeria?
- Beef production in Nigeria was 317,049 tonnes in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest beef production recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 437,724 tonnes in 1985.
- What is the lowest beef production recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 146,245 tonnes in 1962.
- How does Nigeria rank for beef production?
- Nigeria ranks 41st out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is beef production rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Beef production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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