Cereal cropland in Nigeria
Nigeria: Cereal cropland was 18.2% in 2011. ▲ Rising
Cereal cropland in Nigeria, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, Production Yearbook and data files. Measured in % of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for cereal cropland in Nigeria is 18.2%, measured in 2011.
The figure is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cereal cropland in Nigeria peaked at 21.3% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 1981.
Nigeria ranks 3rd of 51 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Cereal cropland in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 11.7% | — |
| 1962 | 11.7% | +0.1% |
| 1963 | 11.8% | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 12.4% | +5.1% |
| 1965 | 13.4% | +8.4% |
| 1966 | 11.1% | -17.5% |
| 1967 | 11.7% | +5.3% |
| 1968 | 12.1% | +3.8% |
| 1969 | 15.8% | +30.4% |
| 1970 | 13.6% | -13.7% |
| 1971 | 12.9% | -5.5% |
| 1972 | 9.7% | -24.4% |
| 1973 | 13.7% | +41.0% |
| 1974 | 11.3% | -17.4% |
| 1975 | 9.5% | -16.4% |
| 1976 | 10.8% | +14.4% |
| 1977 | 8.2% | -24.4% |
| 1978 | 7.2% | -12.1% |
| 1979 | 6.7% | -6.7% |
| 1980 | 7.9% | +17.2% |
| 1981 | 5.3% | -32.1% |
| 1982 | 5.7% | +6.6% |
| 1983 | 6.4% | +11.6% |
| 1984 | 9.1% | +43.4% |
| 1985 | 10.5% | +14.9% |
| 1986 | 13.9% | +33.0% |
| 1987 | 14.5% | +4.4% |
| 1988 | 13.9% | -4.1% |
| 1989 | 15.8% | +13.3% |
| 1990 | 16.9% | +7.1% |
| 1991 | 18.7% | +10.5% |
| 1992 | 18.5% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 19.1% | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 19.8% | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 20.4% | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 19.5% | -4.5% |
| 1997 | 20.3% | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 20.1% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 19.9% | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 20.0% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 17.9% | -10.7% |
| 2002 | 18.7% | +4.5% |
| 2003 | 19.1% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 19.5% | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 20.1% | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 21.0% | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 21.3% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 20.8% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 15.2% | -26.6% |
| 2010 | 17.7% | +16.1% |
| 2011 | 18.2% | +2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.4% | 11.1% | 15.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 10.4% | 6.7% | 13.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.3% | 5.3% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.3% | 16.9% | 20.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.4% | 15.2% | 21.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.9% | 17.7% | 18.2% | 2 |
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 cereal cropland in Nigeria?
- Cereal cropland in Nigeria was 18.2% in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, Production Yearbook and data files.
- What is the highest cereal cropland recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 21.3% in 2007.
- What is the lowest cereal cropland recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 1981.
- How does Nigeria rank for cereal cropland?
- Nigeria ranks 3rd out of 51 countries with data for 2011.
- Is cereal cropland rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. 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, Production Yearbook and data files, published as part of Cereal cropland (% of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Land under cereal production refers to harvested area, although some countries report only sown or cultivated area. Cereals include wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, and mixed grains. 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.